Cumbria Psychiatric Liaison Team – personalised patient information

The information contained in this booklet is important – please keep it safe.

The Psychiatric Liaison Team provides assessment of mental health, and treatment of any mental health problems, to people attending a general hospital.

The Psychiatric Liaison Team also includes the Reach Out Delirium Service, which identifies people at risk of Delirium and provides assessment and support throughout admission.

Although we are employed by the mental health trust and not the general hospital, we work very closely with the general hospital team.

We are mental health professionals: specialist medical doctors (called ‘psychiatrists’), mental health nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, other specialist mental health professionals, and administrative staff.

We have been asked to see you by your general hospital team, who remain the team responsible for your overall care.

The hospitals we cover are:

• Cumberland Infirmary
• West Cumberland Hospital

We are based at:

• East Team, Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown Road, Carlisle, CA2 7HY
• West Team, West Cumberland Hospital, Homewood Road, Hensingham, Whitehaven, CA28 8JG

• Take part in your assessment, so that we can agree with you what needs you may have and how we might help them be met.
• Give permission to us to speak to others (for example, your family).
• Give permission for us to share information with others concerned with your care.

People who know you well, such as your family, can always speak to us; we will listen to them but will not normally share any information with them about you without your consent.

If you require an interpreter, please let your referrer know so that one can be arranged for you.

• You can be seen in a private area, if one is available.
• You can choose whether or not a relative, friend or advocate accompanies you.
• We will encourage you to be involved in decisions about any treatment offered.

• An appointment to see us again, in the near future.
• Information and a choice of possible interventions by agencies that will be able to support any plan agreed with you.

• The plan is written in this leaflet; this may be called a care plan when it is in your medical notes.
• Relevant information you gave to the psychiatric liaison staff will be given to the hospital team looking after you.
• You have the right to receive copies of any letters written to your GP.

East Team – Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown Road, Carlisle, CA2 7HY. Tel: 01228 603 982

West Team – West Cumberland Hospital, Homewood Road, Hensingham, Whitehaven, CA28 8JG.  Tel: 0194 668 545

We use the stress bucket to explain how everyday stress can build up and up and feels too much sometimes. When we reach the limit of the bucket, stress overflows. We try and cope the best ways we know how. We know that some people have more to manage in life and their buckets can often feel very full.

For a copy of the stress bucket please telephone:

East Team: 01228 603 982

West Team: 0194 668 545

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• Stay Alive
• Headspace
• Clear Fear
• Stayingsafe.net
• www.cntw.nhs.uk/relaxation

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• GP:
• Community Mental Health Team:
• Social Workers:
• Other useful contacts:

If you want urgent advice from a mental health professional or it is an emergency, then you can contact your Initial Response/Crisis Team at any time, 24 hours a day every day of the year:

Call on NHS 111 and select the mental health option.

You’ll speak to a mental health professional who will listen and help you find the right support.

If you are Deaf or have communication difficulties, you can contact us in a crisis by:

• Texting 07860 064 775
• Using SignVideo
• Contacting 18001 111 using the Relay UK app

The crisis team does not provide an emergency service such as a 999 response.

• Recovery Steps Cumbria (Alcohol and Substance Misuse) – 01900 512300
• CRUSE (Bereavement Support) – 0808 808 1677
• Victim Support (Domestic Abuse Support)  – 0300 303 0157
• Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service – 0800 245 5658
• NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies – 0300 123 9122
• Relate (relationship counselling) – 0191 232 9109
• Samaritans – 116 123
• Saneline (emotional support) – 07984 867 708
• MindLine (mental health support) – 0300 561 0000
• The Bridge Way (Sexual Assault Support) – 0808 118 6432

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We will usually only see you if you have given your explicit consent. Similarly, you are free to opt out of seeing us at any time. Anything you say is treated in strictest confidence and will only be shared with other members of the team and with other people involved in your health care, such as your GP.

Members of the team work within professional Codes of Conduct and follow NHS Policies that ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times.  The only exception to this would be if the Team believed that there was a significant risk you would seriously harm yourself or others, or information was obtained about possible harm to vulnerable people such as children.

If you have any concerns at all about confidentiality please speak to any member of the team.

There is a range of patient and carer information on the Trust’s website.

This includes information on mental health and wellbeing, medicines, side-effects and how to manage them, and mental health act information leaflets in 28 languages: www.cntw.nhs.uk/resource-library

A range of useful information and support resources for carers: www.cntw.nhs.uk/carers

We have 23 self help guides written by NHS clinical psychologists with contributions from service users and healthcare staff. Titles cover Depression and Low Mood, Stress, Controlling Anger, Panic, Sleeping Problems, Anxiety and many more: www.selfhelp.cntw.nhs.uk

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk/contact/complaints/
• telephone the Complaints Department Tel: 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected]

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.

You can provide feedback in the following ways:
– the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
– complete a Your Voice survey, available from staff
– other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Please enter code NSHL

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

North of Tyne
Tel: 0800 032 0202 Email: [email protected]
Post: FREEPOST PALS

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please telephone the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre

2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Ref: PIC/857/1025 October 2025 V7

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk 
Telephone: 0191 246 7288

Review date 2027