Referral guidelines for GPs when considering a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) referral
Who should be referred?
Anyone between the ages of 18-65, registered with a Plymouth GP. Patients will need to have consented to a referral. If your patient is over 65, please refer to older people’s mental health team.
Those appropriate for a referral
If you consider that there is a risk as a result of mental ill health which cannot be managed in primary care.
This may be an individual who has a pre-existing mental health problem or alternatively might be experiencing a first acute episode.
An example of this might include the following:
- Psychotic presentation
- Acute anxiety
- Treatment resistant depression
- Relapse bipolar, psychotic illness
When should people be referred?
| Prioritisation | Timescale | Details |
| Emergency | Seen same day as referral | Requires an as soon as possible assessment. Actively suicidal, may require mental health act assessment. Risk to self or others. |
| Urgent | Triaged and seen within 2-7 working days. | For patients who are acutely unwell, risks associated as a result of mental ill health. |
| Routine | Triaged and seen within 4 weeks. | For people not at urgent risk to themselves or others but still require assessment for secondary mental health services. |
How do you refer?
Emergency If you feel the patient requires a MHAA directly contact the AMHPs on 01752 436830. For people in a Mental Health crisis contact First Response Service via 111. If the person requires urgent medical attention then call 999.
Urgent For people in a Mental Health crisis contact First Response Service via 111.
Routine patients should be referred via DRSS.