Rapid Response Team – Edinburgh

The Rapid Response Team

The Rapid Response Team (RRT) is an Edinburgh wide community mental health crisis team for older adults. The core philosophy of the RRT is in line with the Scottish Governments 2020 vision for health care (2011) to provide ‘a focus on ensuring that people get back into their home or community environment as soon as appropriate, with minimal risk of re-admission’.

The service has three main objectives:

To prevent admission to psychiatric hospital for older people with mental ill health and for people living with young onset dementia.
The RRT will also facilitate early discharge from hospital by providing intensive support in the person’s home until they are well enough to continue treatment with the CMHT or discharged back to their GP.
All admissions to the Older Peoples Mental Health wards in Edinburgh will be discussed with the RRT who will consider if providing intensive support in the patient’s own home is more appropriate.

Rapid Response Team working

The team consists of: Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapy and Support Workers with access to Social Workers, Psychologists and Consultant Psychiatrists.

The RRT will provide a 7-day service form 8am – 6pm Mon to Sun. RRT will close at 4pm on Christmas Day.

The RRT will:

Respond to emergency referrals to Edinburgh’s Older Peoples Mental Health (OPMH). i.e. people who require to be seen within 24 hours
Provide intensive support for older people who are mentally unwell where there is a risk of admission to hospital
Support early discharge from hospital by providing short term support until the person is well enough to be discharged to mainstream services
Work closely with the Older Peoples Mental Health wards to identify and support patients suitable for early discharge
Assist Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in supporting a person who is becoming more unwell by providing visits from mental health staff up to twice a day.
Provide carers’ support when the patient is at risk of admission.

For further information please phone the RRT on 0131 537 6868. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS NUMBER IS FOR HEALTH PROFESSINAL USE ONLY.

C.M & K.R 29-01-25

Referral Guidelines
Resources and Links

Who can refer:

GP
Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist and other medical staff
Community Mental Health Teams
Older Peoples mental health inpatient wards in Edinburgh
Bridging team/liaison psychiatrist when a person requires complex mental health support for discharge.
IHTT/MHAS
IJB MATT/Hubs
Mental Health Officer
HBCCC mental health wards for early supported discharge

Who to refer:

Referrals to the RRT are for people who require a rapid response to a mental health crisis, and must be seen just prior to referral and delirium excluded (see below).

How to refer:

Patients must be seen by referrer within 24-48 hours prior to referral, and a delirium screen should be completed.

All referrals to RRT require a telephone call to the service prior to sending electronic referral forms. The RRT referral line is: 0131 537 6882

Referrals will only be accepted via the number above. SCI Gateway forms should be submitted to Older People Mental Health Services (North or South).