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General practitioners' opinion of a new psychiatry of old age service

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Margaret Kelleher
Margaret Kelleher*
Affiliation:
Consultant in Psychiatry of Old Age, St Camillus' Hospital, Shelbourne Road, Limerick, Co Limerick, Ireland
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Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the reaction of local general practitioners to a new psychiatry of old age service 10 months following its inception.

Method: An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all GPs in the catchment area of the Service. Questions asked the opinion of GPs on structure and process of the Service, and also asked for suggestions as to how the Service could patients did not have any reservations about being seen by a psychiatrist, but 72% of rural GPs felt the location of the service base (in the city) was a problem.

Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that GPs are reasonably satisfied with the initial service offered by the new specialty. Future service developments must address issues highlighted such as access to the service for patients living outside the city, improving the inpatient facilities for patients with a functional mental illness, and improving communication with GPs.

Keywords

Psychiatry of old ageGeneral practitionersCommunicationDomiciliary assessment
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , September 1997 , pp. 102 - 104
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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