Psychiatric Bulletin (1994) 18: 207-208. doi: 10.1192/pb.18.4.207
© 1994 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
General practitioners' involvement in psychiatric patients' discharge plans
A. Scott Wylie, Senior Registrar
Department of Psychiatry, Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF
The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which general practitioners are informed of and involved in their psychiatric patients' discharge plans, their satisfaction with the present level and methods for improvement. Postal questionnaires were sent to 100 GPs from different practices in England. They reported a high level of dissatisfaction with the present frequency with which they are informed of and involved in discharge plans before the event. They report being informed and involved too infrequently or randomly, or both. This dissatisfaction could generally be resolved by pre-discharge telephone discussion with a member (preferably medical) of the multidisciplinary team.
Copyright © 1994 The Royal College of Psychiatrists.