Our Mental Health Consultation Liaison Service (MHCL) provides specialist mental health support and advice to doctors and other health professionals, as well as to patients at Canberra Hospital. These services are delivered by a specialist team made up of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, with expert knowledge and experience in Psychiatry and Mental Health.
About this service
We can help you and your doctor by providing a specialist mental health assessment, which will help us to tailor the most appropriate support and treatment for you whilst you are a patient in the Emergency Department or an inpatient at Canberra Hospital.
Our service works alongside your treating doctor and the rest of the team who are caring for you, to make sure all parts of your care are considered and connected.
Who we care for
We care for people who are currently patients of the Canberra Hospital.
Our service is an adult service and generally provides care for people 18 and over. However, we may occasionally see people under 18, on a case-by-case basis.
Canberra Hospital also has access to a Child and Adolescent Consultation Liaison team, known as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Hospital Liaison team whose specialist knowledge of young people with mental health needs can assist people with advice and support.
How to access this service
If a situation is dangerous or life threatening for you or anyone else always call emergency services first by dialling 000.
Your treating team will refer you to us if you are a patient at Canberra Hospital. Ideally, we would like your consent and knowledge of being referred, however there may be occasions when we need to see you and you haven’t provided consent, but this will only be done in urgent situations and under legal circumstances such as the ACT Mental Health Act 2015.
If you are a patient at the University of Canberra Hospital or North Canberra Hospital, arrangements can be made for you to be seen by their own mental health Consultation Liaison team. Your treating doctor will be able to contact them to come and see you if they feel you may benefit from their support.
If you are not a patient at Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital or North Canberra Hospital, please contact Access Mental Health for assistance and advice.
What to expect
Once we receive a referral from your treating team at Canberra Hospital, we will visit you in the ward or department where you are receiving treatment. We are committed to being able to see you within 24 hours of receiving the referral, however in most cases this will be done on the same day the referral is received.
What to bring to your appointment
- Medicare card
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP
- Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
- Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)
- Medicines you need to take while you are here
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- Previous x-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
Where we’re located
Canberra Hospital.
We have directions to Canberra Hospital.
