Exploring the developmental need for a paramedic pathway to mental health
Abstract
The following article discusses an organisational development need of a national ‘Mental Health Pathway’ to enable paramedics to provide the appropriate care for people who present mental health issues. The Department of Health acknowledges the huge modernisation of the ambulance service in England and faster access to people with immediate life-threatening conditions; however, the service is also responding to an increasing number of patients who have an urgent primary care need, which includes mental distress, as opposed to clinical emergency.
The
An evidence-based approach is used to provide a balanced, logical and supported argument within a reflection of practice. This is evaluated against a hypothetical patient’s case study, which reflects common issues faced by paramedics and ambulance technicians. The analytical process considers patient, professional, organisational and multi-disciplinary team perspectives.
The following article will discuss an organisational development need of a national ‘Mental Health Pathway’ for paramedic care. The analytical process of presenting the evidence to show the need for the pathway will be discussed in comparison to other paramedic organisations, patient groupsand multi-agency working within Britain. Due to the paucity of academic evidence generated in Britain, evidence from comparable international paramedic practices in the West, including the USA and Australia, will also be utilised to support the discussion.
Evidence available that underpins the rationale for the developmental need of a mental health pathway will be discussed and evaluated. This will be done through a reflection on a hypothetical patient’s case study that illustrates common issues faced in practice (Borton, 1970). It must be stressed that a hypothetical case has been used to avoid the need for confidentiality and consent, something that would be required if a real life case study was used. In addition to this, the use of a ‘real life’ case study would require approval through the NHS, which is beyond the remit of this article.
Subscribe to get full access to the Journal of Paramedic Practice
Thank you for visiting the Journal of Paramedic Practice and reading our archive of expert clinical content. If you would like to read more from the only journal dedicated to those working in emergency care, you can start your subscription today for just £48.
What's included
-
CPD Focus
-
Develop your career
-
Stay informed