An initiative to reduce psychiatric boarding in a Cape Town emergency department.

Background: Psychiatric boarding in Emergency Departments (ED) is a global challenge which results in long ED length of stays (LOS) with significant consequences on patient care and staff safety.

Aim: This study investigated the impact of an initiative to reduce psychiatric boarding on LOS and readmission rate, as well as explored the relationship between boarding times and LOS.

Setting: This study was conducted at Mitchells Plain Hospital, a large district-level hospital in Cape Town.