Evaluation of the Psychiatric Decisions Unit (PDU): effect on emergency department presentations and psychiatric inpatient admissions.

Background: Busy emergency departments (EDs) are not the optimum environment for assessment of patients in mental health crisis. The Psychiatric Decisions Unit (PDU) was developed by the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust as an enhanced assessment service to ensure patients in mental health crisis receive optimal care.

Aims: To evaluate the activities of the PDU and its impact on the frequency of ED presentations and inpatient admissions, and to explore patient satisfaction.