Tamworth Mental Health Unit – Older Persons Area

The Tamworth Mental Health Unit (TMHU) Older Persons Area (OPA) is an 8-bed unit within the wider 37 bed MH facility (4 bed Adolescent Pod, 20 bed General Adult, 5 bed High Acuity) serving the New England North West (NENW) Region of NSW. TMHU is co-located with Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital (TRRH), connected via an internal link bridge. The OPA functions as the bed-based service for older adults who require admission for assessment and management of a mental illness in the NENW Region. The unit takes both voluntary and involuntary patients. People are admitted from local emergency departments, other hospitals and from the community (where appropriate from RACF’s).

The ward is a secure ward with access with 8 individual rooms with ensuites, a dedicated interview room, a sensory room, an activity room, an exercise room, dining living spaces along with an outdoor courtyard. Dedicated family spaces are also available within the wider building. A shared clinical/procedure room is located adjacent to the OPA.

The OPA is staffed by an MDT including a dedicated consultant psychiatrist, registrar and SRMO (subject to recruitment), a social worker, nursing staff and access to other shared allied health professionals (psychology,



dietetics, physiotherapy and speech pathology). The OPA has access to ECT which occurs in the TRRH theatre complex.

The registrar’s role is to provide day-to-day assessment and management of patients, supporting the MDT in implementing the treatment plan and providing medical input to the MDT in conjunction with the consultant psychiatrist. Specific roles will include admitting recent patients, conducting mental and physical health assessments, mental health inquiry and review tribunal reports and presentations, supporting with guardianship applications, liaising with families, carers and other professionals, ensuring contemporaneous documentation and preparing for transfer of care.

- Admitting current patients
- Conducting mental and physical health assessments
- Mental health inquiry and review tribunal reports and presentations
- Supporting with guardianship applications
- Liaising with families, carers and other professionals
- Ensuring contemporaneous documentation
- Preparing for transfer of care

Monday, 7 September

Tuesday, 8 September

Wednesday, 9 September

Thursday, 10 September

Friday, 11 September

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📌 Psychiatry - Registrar - Hunter New England Mental Health Services (Newcastle City Council)
🏢 Wavelength International
📍 Newcastle City Council