St Charles Hospital: Amazon, Ganges. Danube and Thames Wards

Inpatient wards are suitable for people who:

• Are over the age of 18.
• Are suffering an acute phase of a serious mental illness, suspected to have an acute mental illness, or a relapse of long term mental illnesses that, due to the level of identified risks to self or others, cannot be safely assessed and treated anywhere but in an inpatient mental health ward.
• Have been detained under the Mental Health Act (including Community Treatment Order (CTO) recalls)
• Are vulnerable, at risk of harm to self or others as a result of an acute phase of a serious mental illness and cannot be safely supported in a community setting despite increased level of support, care and treatment.
• Have a dual diagnosis of learning disability, substance misuse etc. however the primary reason for inpatient care is an acute phase of a serious mental illness.

The service is unable to accept admissions of people who:

• Are under the age of 18.
• Are not in an acute phase of a serious mental illness.
• Could be treated safely within a community or residential setting.
• Have a primary diagnosis of substance misuse in the absence of an acute mental illness. This would include patients requesting a detoxification without any suggestion of mental illness and patients who have a mental illness and are at risk of serious physical withdrawal symptoms from alcohol who should be on a medical ward. 
• Have a primary diagnosis of learning disability without a co-morbid mental health problem.
• Have a physical problem without a mental illness or have a mental illness but also have an acute physical illness that requires medical admission.
• Are in crisis where the crisis is social in nature and where there is no evidence of acute mental disorder.
• Cannot be safely managed in an open acute environment due to offending history or have been referred from the courts or prison.

Service users at any age who have a primary organic illness, such as dementia, or significant physical frailty should be offered admission to our older people and healthy ageing inpatient wards, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Referrals to St Charles inpatient mental health wards are received through a home treatment team.

Service users will firstly be assessed by the home treatment team (with an approved mental health practitioner (AMHP) for Mental Health Act assessments) who will determine whether admission to a ward or home treatment is the most appropriate treatment.

Inpatient mental health wards are operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.