Mental Health Emergency Short Stay Unit

B.0133

Revision:

7.0

Date published:

22/08/2024

HPU 133 Mental Health Emergency Short Stay Unit describes the operational, functional and design requirements for a mental health service providing short term admission for those with low to medium acuity mental health problems who present to an Emergency Department and do not require admission to an acute mental health inpatient unit. This facility is usually collocated with an Emergency Department.

More About this HPU

An updated revision of HPU 133 Mental Health Emergency Short Stay Unit (MHESSU) (Revision 7.0, August 2024) has been uploaded to the AusHFG website. The revised version has been informed by an extensive consultation process with clinical, operational and technical experts and consumer representatives.

Key changes to the document include:

Modification of the HPU name from Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC) to Mental Health Emergency Short Stay Unit (MHESSU) given PECC is not a term used in all jurisdictions, to better describe the unit and for naming consistency with other Short Stay Units associated with the Emergency Department (ED).
Updates to the Models of Care section to reflect contemporary practice.
Inclusion of definitions for relevant terms.
Inclusion of design recommendations relating to the ‘1 Bed Room’ provided on these units to reflect the room’s smaller size and fewer FF&E inclusions due to consumer’s shorter length of stay.
Updates to the Design section to avoid duplication of information already covered in HPU 131 Mental Health - Overarching Guideline.
Addition of sections for Sexual Safety and Safety & Security to reflect specific requirements for MHESSU.
Revised Schedule of Accommodation (SOA) scenarios to align with a typical minimum unit size of 6 beds.
Minor adjustments to support areas within the SOA including patient property storage, toilet allocations, and staff station and medication room areas.