The Top End Mental Health Services General Practice Clinic: an initiative for patients with serious mental illness.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of the benefits of establishing a general practice clinic within a community mental health service. The clinic was established via collaboration between the Division of General Practice and the Mental Health Service.


METHODS
Data collected over 19 months during the operation of the General Practice Clinic were compared to national benchmarks for similar general practice data.


RESULTS
The clinic was able to offer much longer appointments than would normally be available in most general practices. This allowed for comprehensive screening of serious illness as well as health promotion activities.


CONCLUSIONS
The General Practice Clinic was able to address the significant health needs for patients with serious mental illness in a manner that was ahead of national benchmarks for this patient group. Barriers to care in the patient group, such as stigma and non-attendance, were overcome by coordination between the general practitioners staffing the clinic and their collaboration with the case managers and reception staff of the service.
Symonds
Diana
D
Mental Health Program, Top End Division of General Practice, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Parker
Robert
R
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration; D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*