Overview, key principles and definition of psychiatric emergency

• The Psychiatric Emergency Plan (PEP) clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies and professionals in dealing with a psychiatric emergency.
• PEP is designed to is to "distress and disturbance for the patient and which ensures as smooth and safe a transition as possible from the site of the emergency to the appropriate treatment setting."¹
• For the purposes of this document any reference to mental health and learning disability services covers the following services:
  
  
  • All adult mental health services.
  • All learning disability services.
  • All inpatient mental health services
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS).
  • Older adult mental health services.
• This document does not contain a list of self help materials or services. NHS Forth Valley public web page has a link to immediate help resources.

^{1. Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003: Code of Practice, Volume 2, Chapter7, Paragraph 58).}

• All statutory services will act in the best interests of patients, to deliver high quality care.
• Patients will be treated with compassion, respect and dignity at all times.
• All procedures should be in the best interests of the patient, based on the principle of minimum necessary force or action to achieve the desired outcome.
• Treatment to be delivered in a safe, professional and competent manner;
• Take a person centred approach to ensure the smooth running of any function discharged under the Act, with good communication being essential.
• In all Psychiatric emergencies clinicians should be mindful of the application of Adult Support and Protection legislation and Child Protection procedures.
• Managing a Psychiatric Emergency will require a team approach. Team working should ensure that staff are not put in a vulnerable position where their safety is compromised.

• The ‘Emergency’ element of the situation will be defined by the immediate nature of the distress or disruption caused and the need to get care and/or treatment for the service user.
• Any service user, their carer, a member of staff from any agency or a member of the public may identify a "psychiatric emergency" and refer to this plan for guidance.
• Members of the public identifying an emergency should seek help frm emergency or primary care services, who will enact this plan.