A survey of Patients and staff satisfaction with a Rapid Response Psychiatric Liaison Service in an Acute Hospital: Are Elderly Patients Easier to please?

Background and Objectives: The provision and quality of mental health services in Acute General Hospitals is a growing concern. Developing research to elicit the views of patients and staff will offer insights into service improvements. The Rapid Assessment, Interface and Discharge service (RAID) developed in an Acute General Hospital to deliver a rapid-response, 24-hour, 7-day- a- week, age-inclusive intervention was evaluated for its impact on staff satisfaction, with emphasis on staff training; and patient satisfaction, with emphasis on the differences in satisfaction between working age (under 65 years) and older adults (over 65 years). Population: Staff working in acute hospital for patients with mental health needs, and patients presenting to acute hospitals, requiring clinical input for their mental health. Method: Data on patient satisfaction was collected through a structured telephone questionnaire including fixed and open-ended questions. Data related to staff satisfaction regarding the service provided was collected by a semi-structured interview administered face-to-face with staff from wards referring to the team. Training was evaluated using open-ended, Likert-scale and open-ended questionnaires. Results: Results show that the majority of working age patients rated the service as ‘good’ (42.2%), felt that the team was helpful in their care (84.8%), met their mental health needs (69.7%), and treated them with respect (96.1%). Overall, older adults rated the service as ‘excellent’ (58.3%), felt that the team was helpful in their care (85.7%), met their mental health needs (85.7%), treated them with respect (92.9%) and stated that they were seen in good time (100%). The difference in satisfaction levels between patients of working age and older patients was statistically significant. Common aspects staff rated as most helpful were advice on managing patients (12.0%), support of staff (11.0%) and advice on medication (11.0%). The majority of staff surveyed felt that their practice would be improved following the training, and rated it as either excellent (61.6%) or good (36.3%). Interpretation and Conclusion: This study highlighted the benefits of providing support and training to staff working directly with patients with mental health needs. It is more challenging to measure the satisfactory effect of older people who continue to give favourable answers on satisfaction questionnaires