Psychiatric Interim Regional Secure Unit: Seven Years' Experience

Abstract

The 140 patients admitted during the seven-year period 1977–84 accounted for 225 discharges. Schizophrenia and personality disorder were the two commonest diagnoses and violence and arson the commonest cause for their admission. Patients were accepted from prisons, Special Hospitals and other hospitals, and were discharged to the community principally and into the care of their orginal catchment-area hospitals. Problems which remain unresolved include responding quickly enough to requests from catchment-area hospitals to accept difficult patients, finding appropriate treatment facilities for behaviourally-disturbed subnormal individuals and providing a service for psychopathic patients. The security within the secure unit has not proved a problem. Maintaining staffing levels has proved difficult both locally and nationally. Staff morale can be sustained by good personnel arrangements.