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Psychiatric Units in District General Hospitals and Traditional Mental Hospitals: Some Recent Evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

S. Mahadevan
Affiliation:
Durham Area Health Authority, Durham DH1 5UN (Current Appointment: Specialist in Community Medicine, Rotherham AHA, Oakwood Hall, Moorgate Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S60 2UN)
D. P. Forster
Affiliation:
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU

Summary

Using routine data from the Mental Health Enquiry, the work of two district general hospital (DGH) units and a mental hospital was examined. There was a marked difference in the way the two DGH units operated and between the way the mental hospital worked as support hospital or as independent complete in-patient service. The operational policy practised by psychiatrists is more important than the structure of the system. It is important to establish sensitive policies for a wide variety of organizational structures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1982 

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