Abstract
SummaryIn this issue, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care in the face of the increased specialisation of mental healthcare over recent years. However, continuity of care is not a straightforward concept and its relationship to clinical outcome is not established. The increased specialisation of mental healthcare reflects an evolving evidence base that has increased our understanding of mental illness and the treatments and delivery systems that are most effective. In other words, specialisation is the sign of a progressive field.
Highlights
Importance of specialisation in psychiatric servicesSummary In this issue, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care in the face of the increased specialisation of mental healthcare over recent years
In his editorial in this issue of The Psychiatrist, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care, making a case that the increased specialisation of mental health services in recent years has led to fragmentation of patient care.[1]
A specialist team who focus on the needs of people who are at an early stage in coming to terms with a possible diagnosis of a serious mental illness, must be an improvement on sitting in the waiting area of an out-patient clinic or community mental health team office with people who have longer-term and rather different needs, wondering ‘will that be me in 10 years time?’ National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the treatment of schizophrenia mentions that the smaller case-loads and team-based approach of assertive outreach and early intervention services facilitate the management of continuity of care.[11]
Summary
Summary In this issue, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care in the face of the increased specialisation of mental healthcare over recent years. The increased specialisation of mental healthcare reflects an evolving evidence base that has increased our understanding of mental illness and the treatments and delivery systems that are most effective. Specialisation is the sign of a progressive field. In his editorial in this issue of The Psychiatrist, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care, making a case that the increased specialisation of mental health services in recent years has led to fragmentation of patient care.[1] Dr Lodge suggests a return to the catchment area-based generalist approach. Some may consider this a perfectly reasonable view, there are difficulties with this nostalgia and I present three main arguments to support my position
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