Thames Valley Forensic Service
Thames Valley Forensic Service offer specialist assessment, treatment and management of patients with a primary diagnosis of mental illness or learning disability and who are liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act (1983).
The service supports those who cannot be safely managed in other mental health settings and therefore require care and treatment within a secure mental health service.
How to make a referral
A referral should meet any of the following inclusion criteria:
- Risk assessment and management where there are concerns about current risk of harm to others.
- Suitability for admission to low, medium or high secure.
- Forensic community working.
Exclusions
The following exclusion criteria for referrals apply:
- Referral for diagnosis and management of difficult to manage cases where there is little or no evidence of current risk of harm to others.
- No offending behaviour involving risk of harm to others is present. However, referrals will be accepted when criminal charges are pending where there is evidence of current risk of harm to others.
- Referral to the local PICU or locked rehabilitation unit has not been considered and/or assessed where admission to low security is requested.
- Patient has not been seen by a Consultant Psychiatrist in the last 1 month.
From the 18thJuly 2022, there is a new process for submitting online referrals. We will only accept online referrals through Cambio PFM.
- Supporting documents e.g. background history [family history, personal, psychosexual, medical/substance misuse, recent psychiatric history, forensic history, risk assessments] must be uploaded to the attachment area of Cambio PFM.
- The urgency of the referral should be stated. In cases of extreme urgency, telephone contact should be made with the on-call Consultant within Oxford Health.
- Failure to attach the relevant information in Cambio PFM will lead to delay in the referral being processed.
- All referrals where further information has been requested will be closed within 4 weeks if relevant information is not received.
Guidance
- Cambio PFM – Two factor authentication setup guide (pdf)
- Cambio PFM – How to submit a referral (docx)
Our response
Once the information is available, we will make every effort to discuss the referral at the next referral meeting which, are held weekly.
Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact:
Email: ForensicReferrals@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Bed manager
- Contact: Eb Fianko
- Phone: 07786 250 925
- Hours: Weekdays, 9.00am to 5.00pm
Patient flow administrator
- Contact: Michele Gawler
- Phone: 07795 451 040
- Hours: Weekdays, 8.00am to 4.00pm
Page last reviewed: 12 December, 2022