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The Psychiatric Liaison Team provides assessment of mental health, and treatment of any mental health problems, to people attending a general hospital. 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’), registered mental health nurses, clinical psychologists, other specialist mental health professionals, and administrative staff.

We are based at Wansbeck General Hospital and operate Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

The hospitals we cover are:

  • Alnwick Infirmary
  • Berwick Infirmary
  • Blyth Community Hospital
  • Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital
  • Hexham General Hospital
  • Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH)
  • Wansbeck General Hospital

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

  • 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.

When you are seen we will always try to do the utmost possible to respect your privacy and dignity

  • 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

If you would like an interpreter, staff will arrange to get one.

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.

Our postal address is:
Psychiatric Liaison Team
Wansbeck General Hospital
Woodhorn Lane
Ashington
NE63 9JJ

Our telephone number is: 01670 529 047

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  • Your GP/family doctor:
     
  • Community Mental Health Team:
     
  • Social Workers:
     
  • Other useful contacts:
     

If you need urgent mental health advice you can contact the Initial Response/Crisis Team at any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call 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:

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

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Nationwide

Northumberland

North Tyneside

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.

Resource library
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.

Carer resources
A range of useful information and support resources for carers.

Self help guides
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.

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

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 on wards, reception areas or from staff 
  • other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

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 one's 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
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: pals@nhct.nhs.uk
Post: FREEPOST PALS

South of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: pals@cntw.nhs.uk
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB

9.00am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

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 contact 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/789/1025 October 2025 V9
Review date 2027

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk