CAMHS Urgent Care Team (UCT) for children and young people

CAMHS Urgent Care Team (UCT) works with three local hospitals and CAMHS community services to provide a dedicated crisis and liaison service for children and young up to the age of 18 who are experiencing an acute mental health or emotional crisis.

The UCT provides rapid response, prompt assessment and, where appropriate, time-limited brief interventions by CAMHS urgent care clinicians. The aim is for young people to be seen by a CAMHS clinician at first point of contact, no matter what time of day or night.

Reasons for urgent referral include:

• following an overdose
• following an incident and/or treat of self-harm
• acute anxiety
• a dramatic and unexplained change in mood or behaviour

The team also offers consultation in cases in which it may not be immediately clear what the presenting concerns and risks are, to ensure that the safeguarding needs of children and young people are paramount.

The CAMHS Urgent Care Team operates from three hubs at:

• Hillingdon UCT Hub serving Hillingdon hospital
• Brent and Harrow UCT serving Northwick Park hospital
• Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster UCT (KCW) serving Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Kensington and Chelsea and St Mary’s Hospital in Westminster

Between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, all referrals should be made by telephone to your local CAMHS team. After 5pm on weekdays and on weekends or public holidays, please attend your local accident and emergency department who can refer you to the CAMHS Urgent Care Team.

The team also offers consultation in cases in which it may not be immediately clear what the presenting concerns and risks are, to ensure that the safeguarding needs of children and young people are paramount.

5 - 10 11 - 13 14 - 15 16 - 18

Up to the age of 18 years old.