Provision of out-of-hours support to a forensic population: strategies and research potential

Community Mental Health Nurses (CMHNs) working within regional forensic services are increasingly expected to provide out-of-hours cover for community forensic patients. This is often in the absence of appropriate resources or indeed informed knowledge as to what are appropriate resources. In areas such as forensic services it would be assumed that out-of-hours cover is essential. Yet most forensic services find it difficult to provide this cover, because of the low number of CMHNs and the regional nature of the service. One option which has not been explored is the use of telephone support in conjunction with individual contingency plans for each patient. This paper explores this area and makes suggestions for researching outcomes for this service change.