Background Palliative care patients have significant mental health needs and there is no national standard for community-based care when patients have significant mental health needs in context of unstable or progressive life limiting illness. Invitation to be part of multisite audit to compare findings in Central and North west London mirrored other areas nationally.

Aim To establish levels of need for liaison psychiatric services or alternative innovative services by conducting a baseline analysis of current needs in new and current referrals.

Method Agreement through clinical governance channels to partake in multi-site audit. Prospective audit over 3 month period. Assessment of whether these patients have suitable access to existing mental health services and specialist palliative care staff are able to engage these services in shared care. To determine the number of these patients who are open or have in the last one year been open to MH services.

Results Dementia patients were excluded if needs met by full hospice team including admiral nurse support. 22 patients identified over 3 month period through inpatient, day therapy MDT and complex discussions with community PCNS. 10 were new patients, 16 formal mental health diagnosis. Of the other 6–5 had been diagnosed with Dementia and had needed mental health support including being under section 3. Main diagnosis was depression and or anxiety. Majority treated with SSRI and Benzodiazepines. 1/3rd had ongoing CPN input.

Discussion 9% of our current referrals are for dementia. We have 2 Admiral nurses at our hospice who are able to mange this population making referral to traditional MH services less likely.

We are working collaboratively with local mental health trust identification of unmet need and recommendations for raising staff awareness and for a shared care pathway as part of a joint Quality improvement project.