Assessment of a secure/intensive care/forensic ward

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Hospital Administration
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Recent trends highlight the need for semi-secure, well-staffed acute psychiatric wards.
• Effective management of acute psychiatric patients requires specialized facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a semi-secure, well-staffed acute ward.
• To review 400 consecutive admissions over 34 months.
• To assess the ward's effectiveness in managing acute psychiatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A 13-bed semi-secure acute ward was utilized.
• Data from 400 consecutive admissions over 34 months were reviewed.
• Patient referrals from a 600,000 catchment area were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The ward managed a diverse range of diagnostic categories and referral agencies.
• The 13-bed unit effectively provided security and intensive treatment.
• Staff satisfaction with the service was reported.

Conclusions:

• Semi-secure, well-staffed acute wards are essential for modern psychiatric care.
• The described ward model is effective for managing acute psychiatric patients.
• A subset of chronically disturbed patients may require separate facilities.