Service utilisation by former long-stay psychiatric patients in Northern Ireland

The shift from hospital to community care for people with mental health problems places continuing demands on community-based services. However, comparatively little is known about the patterns of service use among those previously resident in psychiatric hospitals. In this study, a total of 145 former long-stay psychiatric patients in Northern Ireland (NI) - most with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and aged under 60 - were followed up one year after discharge to identify the type and frequency of service use during the previous six months. Although a wide range of services was used, GPs, CPNs and social workers respectively were central to client care outside hospital. However, access to, and use of, services influenced, in part, by the unique integrated health and social services structure in NI - varied widely across types and sectors of accommodation. The findings have implications both for the successful management of community placement for former long-stay patients and for the planning and implementation of services for future more dependent cohorts.