Non-attendance at psychiatric outpatient clinics: communication and implications for primary care

What should happen when an outpatient fails to attend a psychiatric clinic? Guidelines from the General Medical Services Committee suggest that general practitioners (GPs) have no further responsibility of care for a patient once a referral to a psychiatrist has been made. This raises questions about the formulation of effective management plans for those patients with whom psychiatric services find it difficult to engage due to non-compliance with assessment and follow-up.

To investigate communication between GPs, patients, and psychiatrists at referral and following attendance or non-attendance at outpatient appointments.

A prospective study of a random sample of attenders and non-attenders at psychiatric outpatient clinics. Patients and GPs were interviewed to obtain data about the referral process. GPs' views on communication from psychiatrists and the appropriate course of action following clinic non-attendance were investigated. The quality of referral and clinic letters for attenders and non-attenders was compared.

There was no difference in the quality of referral letter for attenders and non-attenders. Psychiatrists were less likely to write to GPs about follow-up patients' appointments than new patients' appointments; communication was least likely when a follow-up patient missed their appointment. GPs considered follow-up non-attenders were more likely to need a further appointment than new patient non-attenders, but did not identify a role for themselves in engaging with follow-up non-attenders.

Communication between GPs and psychiatrists about new patients seems adequate. However, there are important deficits in communication from psychiatrists to GPs about follow-up patients, especially non-attenders who are often more severely ill and difficult to engage. An effective response for this group is likely to need cooperative health and social service action rather than rigid guidelines concerning clinical responsibility.