Psychiatric units in district general hospitals and traditional mental hospitals: some recent evidence.
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.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004739:England; D006760:Hospitalization; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*