The effect of a nurses' industrial action on psychiatric hospital admissions

The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients admitted to a large psychiatric hospital during a six month period of industrial action by nurses are described and compared with those from a similar period in the previous year. During the industrial action, the nursing staff agreed only to accept "emergency cases" for admission. The way that medical and social work practices were affected by the restricted conditions are discussed. The admission threshold was raised across all diagnostic categories, although the level of violence and social isolation was markedly less than expected. Chronic patients with a duration of illness of ten years or more were least likely to be admitted during the action. It is probable that some patients were admitted under a compulsory order to facilitate access to in-patient treatment.