Trends in admissions to a regional secure unit (1983-1997).
Admissions and discharges from a 30-bed regional secure unit (RSU) were surveyed over a 15-year period. In the last five years there has been a significant increase in the average length of stay of patients and a marked decrease in the number of admissions and discharges. The reasons for this 'silting up' of the RSU by longer-term patients and the consequences for an effective forensic psychiatric service are discussed.
Brown
C S
CS
Department of Mental Health, University of Exeter, Wonford House, Dryden Road, Exeter EX2 5AF.
Lloyd
K R
KR
Donovan
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D006291:Health Policy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies