The Standard Operating Procedure is intended to provide clarity regarding Adult Mental Health consults, destination decision-making, and dispute resolution.

Since December 2024, the Provincial Virtual Crisis Service (PVCS) has partnered with the Virtual Emergency Care and Transfer Resource Service (VECTRS) to provide adult psychiatry consultations for rural and northern sites. Whereas most patients previously required an inter-facility transfer (IFT) for consultation, only 50% were transferred during the first twelve months of operation.

VECTRS serves as the point of contact for healthcare providers to request these consults. Patients are registered and tracked until arrival at the destination site or the completion of consult. More detailed data is now available regarding the consults, IFTs, and sending/destination sites.

Improvements in patient safety, access, and equity are primary goals. Patients with high-risk presentations or acute medical conditions will be prioritized for transfer. Patients at sites with capacity issues will also be prioritized for transfer.

Destination decision-making will be made in real-time by Patient Flow, VECTRS, and PVCS in accordance with the guidance provided by Shared Health, the Regional Health Authorities, and the Mental Health & Emergency Medicine Specialty Programs.

As of October 29, PVCS expanded the hours of virtual consultation to 08:00-22:00, seven days a week. A PVCS Attending Psychiatrist is on-duty 24 hours a day.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please direct them to [email protected] and we will work to respond to all queries in a timely fashion.

Memo – Printable version

Submitted by: Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead