A study of the accumulation of long-stay patients in a general hospital psychiatric department.

A survey of all admissions of patients under the age of 65 years during the first 6 years of a General Hospital Psychiatric Department identified 16 'long-stay' patients (a year or more of continuous inpatient care) and 8 'medium-stay' patients (at least 6 months inpatient care in any period of a year). The most common diagnoses were organic brain disorders among long-stay patients, and affective disorders among medium-stay patients. There was no consistent accumulation of long-stay patients: those with functional disorders were usually discharged to hostel accommodation, while those with organic brain disorders died or were transferred to inpatient care in other hospitals.