A new Behaviour Support Consultation Service (BSCS) at Redland Hospital is helping staff better understand what may be behind changes in a patient’s behaviour and how best to support them.
Launched as a six-month pilot project, the BSCS is designed to fast-track the journey for patients with changed behaviours and to align with the MSH Occupational Violence Readiness Action Plan 2025-2027.
Clinical Nurse Consultant Ben Wamsley and Advanced Occupational Therapist Gill Worden said the specialist service would improve safety and the quality of care delivered.
“The goal of the service is to improve safety, quality, and care for inpatients with changed behaviours whilst strengthening workforce capability, confidence, and the safety of staff,” Ben explained.
Ben and Gill said the team worked alongside treating clinicians to identify what may be contributing to a patient’s behaviour and develop practical strategies to support their care. If a patient becomes distressed, agitated or resistant to care, the team could look at possible triggers and whether changes to communication, their environment or routine could help.
“Our aim is to improve the patient journey and transition to discharge. By offering at-the-elbow support on the floor and hospital-wide education, we can simultaneously build staff capacity and confidence to ensure a consistent and sustainable approach," Ben said.
He said the service would also enable clinicians to efficiently identify unmet patient needs, and deliver highly specialised behavioural interventions and practical, tailored support in real time.
“We are hoping to achieve safe and effective outcomes, including reduced occupational violence incidents, patient incidents, and reduced restrictive practices through timely, proactive behaviour support plans (BSPs) for patients that have a clear focus on the individual patient at its centre,” Gill said.
Ben and Gill said this project wouldn’t be possible without the foundational work of the Macleay clinical team, and the support of all Bayside staff and the executive leadership team.
“This service expands on the outstanding work of our Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) and Psychology teams in developing tailored behavioural interventions and BSPs for patients with changed behaviours," Ben said.
“We thank everyone involved in this initiative, which will ultimately improve the quality of care and safety for patients across Redland Hospital," Gill said.
"It is motivating to see how we have already received positive feedback from our colleagues who all agree that this service has great potential to make a genuinely positive difference to both the patients and the healthcare team here at Bayside.”