CAMHS Emergency Care Service (CECS)

The CAMHS Emergency Care Service is a nurse and consultant led team of clinical nurse specialists who:

• Provide psychosocial and risk assessments for all young people up to age 18 presenting with an acute mental health crisis at Kingston, St George’s and St Helier Hospitals. This will be informed by information from other agencies including social care and education.
• Collaboratively develop safety and management plans with young people and their families/carers as part of in-depth biopsychosocial assessment.
• Provide consultation and advice to paediatric wards with respect to management of complex cases.
• Offer a follow up appointment/risk review within seven days for young people who are registered with a GP in Wandsworth, Sutton, Kingston, Richmond or Merton, and who are not currently open to Tier 3 CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services).
• Offer a follow up appointment within seven days for young people who are not registered with a local GP but are a resident of Wandsworth, Sutton, Kingston, Richmond or Merton.
• Coordinate the care of young people from assessment to discharge from the service, including liaising with social care, education, Tier 3 CAMHS and other services when further assessment, treatment or support is likely to be helpful. 

Referrals are received via the A&E departments and acute paediatric wards at St George's, St Helier and Kingston Hospitals.