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This leaflet provides information about the Psychiatric Liaison Team. We carry out assessment of mental health, and treatment of any mental health problems, to people attending a general hospital.

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. 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 a 24 hour service based at Sunderland Royal Hospital. The hospitals we cover are:

  • Sunderland Royal Hospital
  • Sunderland Eye Infirmary
  • ICAR (Intermediate Care and Rehabilitation – Houghton le Spring)
  • St Benedict’s Hospice

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.

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.
  • 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:
Sunderland Psychiatric Liaison Team
B floor
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Kayll Road
Sunderland
SR4 7TP

Our telephone number is: 0191 541 0145

We use the stress bucket to explain how everyday stress can build up and up and feels too much sometimes. We try and cope the best ways that we know how.

We know that some people have more to manage in life and their buckets can often feel very full.

Different stressors drop into the bucket like water and fills it up. For example:

  • money problems
  • physical health worries
  • poor sleep
  • difficult life experiences
  • housing problems
  • loss of support or people we love
  • stress at work or stress due to having no job

When the bucket gets too full it overflows.

We try to cope the best way we know how. Sometimes these strategies can work in the short term but longer term may cause problems and be harmful.

Less helpful or harmful coping:

  • Alcohol or drugs
  • Self harm
  • Avoiding things or people
  • Putting others needs first
  • Shouting or aggression

We can find ways to cope in more helpful ways.

Some coping that may be more helpful:

  • Speaking to friends and family
  • Moving my body, walking
  • Asking for help
  • Reading
  • Doing things I enjoy

The Stress Bucket by Brabban and Turkington (2002). For a copy of the stress bucket please telephone 0191 541 0145

  1. What stress has been coming into my bucket in the last few days
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  2. What is already in my bucket that feels stressful?
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  3. What are my less helpful or harmful ways of coping?
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  4. What ways might help me cope better with my stress?
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thinking about what your stressors are and how they impact you can help you make plans to keep yourself safe in the future.

  • Contributors to safety plan:
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Triggers/warning signs of a crisis
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Individual coping strategies
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Connecting with friends and family
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Social prescribing options/peer networks
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Professional/emergency supports
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Reducing access to means/ making your environment safer
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  • PLT Discharge Plan
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • 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.

  • Calm Harm – free app – age 12+
    App that helps to resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can choose a range of activities to help manage the urge to self-harm.
  • Feeling Good – offers in app purchases – age 12+
    Adapted from mind coaching used in Olympic sports to develop and guide your vision of a better future.
  • Thrive – free app – age 12+
    Build resilience to stress, anxiety and depression.
  • Stay Alive – free app – all ages
    This app is full of useful information to help you stay safe. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else.
  • Virtual Hope Box – free app – all ages
    Simple tools for helping with coping, relaxation, distraction and positive thinking.
  • Smiling Minds – free app – all ages
    Free mindfulness and meditation app for guided meditation.
  • SAM – self-help app for the mind – free app – age 12+Provides a range of self-help techniques organised into several main wellbeing themes.
  • Luma (Worry Tree) – offers in app purchases – all ages
    This app helps you to record manage and problem solve your worries and anxiety based on cognitive behaviour therapy techniques.
  • Daylio – offers in app purchases – all ages
    Self care journal with goal mood and happiness tracker, enables you to keep a private diary without having to type a single line.
  • Kooth – website only aimed at young people
    A confidential emotional wellbeing platform for young people.
  • Family Lives – website only
    Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families.

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/748/1025 October 2025 V12
Review date 2028

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk