Ah, ok - 72 hour evaluation possible
STERKFONTEIN HOSPITAL (SFH) - [ Adj. Prof U Subramaney]
Services:
- General and Forensic psychiatry (approximately 50% each)
- Tertiary level inpatient care - Southern Gauteng
- Forensic services - Southern Gauteng (Mental observations as well as care treatment and rehabilitation of state patients)
- Forensic services for North West Province (Mental observations: 30 male beds (+3 at Krugersdorp prison), 5 adolescent male beds, and 5 female beds). State patients: 20 female beds, 10 adolescent male beds and 250 male beds.
-Male adolescent psychiatry (Forensic, for which there are 10 beds), OPD assessments of children (aged 10-14) in terms of Criminal Capacity
- Centre of Excellence: Dual Diagnosis Unit. an inpatient unit for the management of substance use disorders in the context of other psychiatric diagnoses (15 beds, mixed gender with separated units).
- Integrated Living Unit (ILU)
- ARV Centre/ Neuropsychiatric Unit
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Sterkfontein Hospital is a designated specialized psychiatric health establishment which renders care, treatment and rehabilitation services to mental health care users in accordance with the Mental Health Care act no.17 of 2002, after they have undergone a 72 hour assessment from a facility listed to conduct such an assessment in line with the provincial plan. This means that patients are referred for further involuntary care (Sec 34).Occasionally users are transferred under Sec 33.
The hospital also provides Forensic services - both mental observations and rehabilitation of state patients (latter under section 42 of the MHCA). These are patients that would have undergone a 30 day observation period (CPA section 77, 78 and 79) following the commission of a major crime for which they were found not fit and/or not responsible by virtue of the insanity defence.
Referral procedures
- All mental health care users shall be discussed with the doctor on-call/the consultant prior to admission; telephone contact (011 951 8000); Unbooked cases may be returned to the referring institution assessment of the user and the referring health practitioner. Sec 42(State patient) referred by the courts shall not be sent back, unless discussed with the consultant on call.
-Any patient with serious medical or physical problems will not be accepted unless the doctor on call, upon consultation with the consultant on call if necessary, is satisfied that the referral is appropriate and the resources at the hospital are equipped to manage the patient.
-For referrals to the DDU, all potential users to be referred formally thereafter will be screened at an interview by the MDT to establish appropriateness for the programme. (Consultant Dr Tiaan Schutte)
-For ECT referrals, patients will be admitted following a discussion with the consultant (Dr Fiona Maynard /Dr Zaheeda Ibrahim). Documentation to be discussed - currently the institution will accept these referrals as assisted or involuntary patients.
Criteria for patients to be admitted to SFH
Mental health care users who have undergone 72 hour assessment (Section 34 – for further involuntary care).
Section 33 (involuntary patients); criteria in terms of MHCA NO 17, of 2002 (limited number only, upon discussion as stated above)
Section 42 (state patients)
Mentally ill prisoners
Observandis (male and female, including adolescent males). These are awaiting trial detainees referred in terms of the CPA
DDU admissions - see above.
ECT admissions - see above.
Any patient who comes as a walk-in or an inappropriate referral will be thoroughly assessed by the on-call doctor and be discussed with the consultant before being referred to a facility listed to conduct 72 hour assessment or be admitted for 72 hours assessment depending on his/her mental status.
Patients referred with incorrect or incomplete forms will not be accepted unless the referring institution takes necessary steps to ensure that these are corrected and the on call doctor is satisfied with the criterion after discussing the matter with the consultant. To note again, that a certification to Sterkfontein hospital is a legal process and incorrect paperwork amounts to an illegal detention of the MHCU.
The patient’s family shall be notified about his admission as per the hospital admission policy.
A report of all "sent back" patients will be completed by the on call doctor who would have seen the patient stating:
- date and time; reason for sending the patient back; name of the doctor who saw the patient; consultant spoken to; nurse present at the time of; consultation; referring facility/person; physical and mental status at time of consultation; adequate notification of referring practitioner as necessary.
From www.wits.ac.za/academic/health/clinicalmed/clinical%20services/23486/specialist_hospitals.html