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Should the on-call psychiatrist be residential?

Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope, Sunderland SR2 0NB

Marc A. Serfaty, Lecturer in Psychiatry^*

University Department of Psychiatry, Leazes Wing, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP

Chris Smith, Regional Task Force Coordinator

NHS Executive North West, Gateway House, Piccadilly South, Manchester M66 7LP

^* Correspondence

The need for psychiatrists to be residential when on call is questionable. To determine whether becoming non-residential resulted in duty doctors being unable to provide the same quality of care in dealing with psychiatric or medical emergencies, a prospective study was carried out logging calls received by the duty doctor before and after transition from a residential to a non-residential on-call system. Outcome showed that requiring doctors to be resident did not seem justified.