The standing advisory group for community psychiatric nursing: grasping the nettle?

This paper reports on the work of the Standing Advisory Group for Community Psychiatric Nursing Education (SAGCPNE). A precis of the historical development CPN education is provided and a stronger relationship with the Mental Nurses Committee is proposed. It is argued that the educational preparation of community psychiatric nurses is the sine qua non of desirable, high quality, community mental health services and that methods for the identification and protection of adequate financial resources for such preparation must be found.