REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE HELD TO REVIEW EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SELF HARMED ACROSS THE EAST MIDLANDS

This paper reports on a Conference held in December 2009 to consider the findings of a review of local Emergency Department’s treatment and management of people who have self harmed. The Review considered approximately 30 consecutive self harm attendances at each of the 9 major Emergency Departments in the East Midlands. Its findings are set out here in relation to NICE’s July 2004 clinical guidelines on the short term physical and psychological management of self harm in Emergency Departments.
The review was undertaken by Keith Waters, Suicide Prevention Manager at the East Midlands Development Centre by means of medical records interrogation and semi structured interviews with staff. The review concluded that there is good practice throughout the East Midlands but this is not always consistent. The paper highlights locations with good practice against the following headings:

• Triage
• Children
• Admission and Assessment
• Documentation

This paper highlights key messages from the Conference and summarizes local work which has been started on the back of local discussions held at the conference itself.

Download the document please click the following link: Suicide Report.pdf (500kb PDF document)