Beware The Hidden Dangers in A&E

Lindsey Reynolds
Sep 19
2 min read

photo of an A&E cubicle with potential risks to mental health patients flagged up

Where to begin assessing the hidden dangers of an A&E cubicle for patients in mental health crisis?

If our recent blog highlighting the dilemmas facing A&E departments across England resonated with you, then here is a cheat sheet flagging hidden dangers to look out for.

1 Curtain tracks can inadvertently create ligature points

2 IV lines and oxygen tubing pose ligature risks

3 Wall-mounted equipment like this monitor may not meet anti-ligature standards

4 Sharps and any clinical tools must be kept secure without delaying urgent treatment

5 Portable equipment can be difficult to secure and remain ready for use

6 Bin liners pose a recognised self-harm and suicide risk

7 Bright lights can heighten the distress of a mental health patient

Protects Plus has already helped NHS Trusts make their A&Es safer and compliant for mental health patients, without breaking the budget.

We collaborate with them on the redesign and risk assessments of their A&E mental health spaces to ensure they are safe and meet the different levels of compliance required for mental health spaces.

We also provide an ongoing outsourced solution to maintain compliance, freeing A&E and Estates & Facilities teams from complex and time-consuming compliance management.

Next steps

If you need to explore solutions to this dilemma, then Protects Plus can help and we start by listening.

Book a free, no-obligation call with us to share your particular challenges so see how we can help you meet safety regulations, protect patients in crisis, and unlock funding — without adding to your workload.

Book a Meeting