Effect of a 24/7 nursing presence in a police watch house on police presentations to the emergency department.

ConclusionFewer transfers from the police watch house to the ED were noted when there was a 24/7 nursing presence in the watch house. This model appears to be economically efficient, but further research is required.What is known about the topic?People detained in police custody are a vulnerable population with complex health needs, sometimes requiring emergency care.What does this paper add?Transfers from the police watch house to the ED were fewer when there was a 24/7 nursing presence in the police watch house (an economically efficient model). Nursing care provided to detainees in the watch house setting predominantly related to substance misuse, chronic disease and mental health problems.What are the implications for practitioners?With a 24/7 nursing presence in the police watch house, transfer to the ED was avoided for some detainees. Similar strategies that respond to coronial recommendations advocating for enhancements in police-health collaboration warrant evaluation. PMID: 33038937 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research