Psychiatric Bulletin (2009) 33: 215-218. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.107.018697
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Mental health rehabilitation services in the UK in 2007

Debbie Mountain, Immediate past Chair of the Regional Representatives

Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Consultant in Rehabilitation Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh

Helen Killaspy, Academic Secretary

Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Rehabilitation Psychiatry, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, Hampstead Campus, London NW3 2PF, email: h.killaspy{at}medsch.ucl.ac.uk, and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London

Frank Holloway, Chair

Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director, Croydon Integrated Adult Mental Health Services, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London

Declaration of interest

The authors are members of the Executive Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry.

AIMS AND METHOD

A survey of UK consultants in rehabilitation psychiatry was carried out to investigate current service provision and changes over the past 3 years.

RESULTS

Most services had undergone multiple changes, with an overall reduction in over half and an overall expansion in a minority. The proportion with low secure provision had doubled. Around a third reported reinvestment of rehabilitation resources into other specialist in-patient and community services.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Rehabilitation services are undergoing rapid change with diversion of resources into services that may lack rehabilitation expertise. This risks an increase in independent sector referrals for in-patient rehabilitation for those with complex needs. Expansion of community services should be balanced against the need for local in-patient rehabilitation services.