Paediatric Consultation Liaison

Paediatric Consultation Liaison (PCL) is a multidisciplinary team that engages with children and adolescents who are current, ongoing or regular PCH patients, and have mental health issues related to their medical conditions or central to their treatment plan.

Support from PCL can reduce psychological distress for young people and their carers, address problems related to treatment engagement, lead to shorter hospital stays and fewer medical appointments, and increase overall satisfaction with hospital care.

Inpatient and outpatient referrals (for patients aged up to 18) are accepted from the medical and surgical consultants of the hospital. Each referral is allocated to a health professional in the PCL team who makes an initial assessment.

Where needed, team members work with the patient and their family to form an agreed treatment plan. The PCL generally provides patients with short-term assistance (up to six months). PCL team members may also refer the patient to other services which better meet the patient's needs.

PCL operates Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

The team is made up of:

• consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists
• psychiatric and paediatric registrars
• clinical psychologists including consultant and senior clinical psychologists
• an inpatient liaison nurse specialist
• community mental health nurse specialists
• a clinical neuropsychologist