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A New Community Mental Health Team Based in Primary Care

A Description of the Service and its Effect on Service use in the First Year

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Gayle Jackson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester, Withington Hospital, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 8LR
Richard Gater
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester, Withington Hospital
David Goldberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester
Digby Tantam
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Warwick
Linda Loftus
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester, Withington Hospital
Helen Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester
*
Correspondence

Abstract

A new community multidisciplinary team based in primary care is described and the experience of the first year discussed. The effect the team has had on the use of psychiatric services in its first year was studied. There was a threefold increase in the rate of inception to care, leading to a doubling in the prevalence of treated psychiatric disorder. There has been a reduction in the demands made on the hospital out-patient services, but no change in the use of in-patient resources or emergency contacts.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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