Mental health. Right approach

The care programme approach for people with long-term mental illness appears to have been a key factor in increasing the average length of stay in psychiatric wards. In one trust the average length of stay has almost doubled since 1991. The need for complex care plans to be in place before patients are discharged, and the need for multidisciplinary meetings, can slow up discharge. A new model drawn up by the trust aims to cut down on delays by involving community services at the time of admission and using a care plan which is common both to the hospital and community.