title: Community question.
abstract: THE BED manager scanned the whiteboard in the busy office of an acute psychiatric ward. 'What about this man, WL?' she asked. 'He's been in for nearly two weeks. Can he go on weekend leave?' The nurse in charge was sceptical, but an urgent admission was imminent, and there was no room. So WL was informed that he was ready for a trial period at home, and his bed was swiftly changed for the new arrival. Such is life in the inner-city psychiatric ward, where demand relentlessly exceeds supply.
authors.affiliation: Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London.
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McCrae
authors.affiliation: Department of social science, health and medicine at King's College London.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spence
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006291:Health Policy; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D006113:United Kingdom