Psychiatric inpatients in 1982: how many beds?

Abstract

SYSNOPSIS Using data collected by the Salford Psychiatric Case Register from 1 January 1968 to 1 January 1972, the current use of psychiatric inpatient beds is presented and trends discussed. Estimates are given for the likely occupancy at 1 January 1982, for short and medium stay (under one year), and long-stay (one year or more) beds. Three methods of projecting the accumulation of new long-stay patients are described and discussed. The total occupancy by 1982 is likely to be about 2·3 beds/1,000 total population, about 1·7/1,000 for long-stay patients.