Organising community mental health teams around GP practices: GPs' responses to the linkworker model

J Brown; S A Afuwape; E Downes-Grainger; R Howells; E Cole; D Goldberg

doi:10.1185/135525704125004664

Organising community mental health teams around GP practices: GPs' responses to the linkworker model

J Brown, S A Afuwape, E Downes-Grainger, R Howells, E Cole, D Goldberg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The interface between primary care and secondary mental health services is crucial for co-ordinated care for patients but has been problematic. This paper describes the implementation of a new model where the community mental health team (CMHT) is organised around the General Practice (GP) practice. The rationale for this is the frequent mismatch between the boundaries of the CMHTs and those covered by the GP practices. On the basis of this model, the boundaries of CMHTs and GP practices were aligned. linkworkers (attached mental health professionals) were then assigned to the majority of the practices. Twenty-one GPs working in an inner city area in London, responded to a survey about their perceptions of the system and their attitudes towards the care of patients with serious mental illness (SMI) both before and two years after the implementation of the new model. The responses of GPs with and without a linkworker were also compared. Although changes in attitude towards patients with serious mental illness (SMI) were fewer and less consistent, GPs generally reported greater satisfaction with the new model. In addition, linkworked GPs reported more satisfaction than non-linkworked GPs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45 - 50
Number of pages	6
Journal	Primary Care Psychiatry
Volume	9
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1185/135525704125004664
Publication status	Published - 2004

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Organising community mental health teams around GP practices: GPs' responses to the linkworker model

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