The Pattern of Psychiatric Referrals in a General Hospital

Abstract

There have been a number of reports of psychiatric referrals in general hospitals. The most recent papers have been by Guy Edwards and Angus (1968) from Bergen Pines County Hospital, New Jersey; Crisp (1968) from the Middlesex Hospital, London; Bridges et al . (1966) from King's College Hospital, London; and MacLeod and Walton (1969) at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. The last report from Guy's Hospital, London, was over a five-year period from 1955–60 by Fleminger and Mallett (1962). It was therefore thought useful to review psychiatric referrals from the general wards at Guy's over a recent period of one year, approximately ten years after the first study, to see if there had been any change in the pattern or nature of the referrals.