RAPID (RPH, Addition, Psychiatry, Intervention, Discharge): a WA Health Excellence Award Finalist

The Royal Perth Hospital Addiction, Psychiatry, Intervention, Discharge (RAPID) Team was designed to assist patients seeking specialised Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) treatment.

RAPID was borne out of the redesign of the Royal Perth Hospital emergency department (RPH ED) and is the first team of its kind to combine Mental Health and AOD specialist clinicians in one team.

The team offers a single point of contact (24/7) to RPH wards and units seeking referral to and specialist advice mental health and AOD. RAPID team works alongside Homeless Health Care, RUAH Choices and RPH Aboriginal Health Liaison officers to meet the needs of an often marginalised and vulnerable cohort of patients to ensure they receive the appropriate support and care in hospital and from community health providers.

The RAPID Team provides psychiatric and AOD services to RPH medical, surgical and emergency department patients and are helping to improve health outcomes through early intervention to reduce the adverse effects of AOD and referrals to the most appropriate healthcare services.

The team has bridged the gap in accessing AOD services for patients at RPH with 2456 AOD referrals alone seen between July 2018 and July 2019 – a significant increase on the 803 referrals seen during 2017.