Determining the need for community alternatives to prevent unnecessary admissions to an adult inpatient psychiatric unit

Admissions to an adult psychiatric inpatient unit were monitored for a period of 4 months in order to determine the necessity for those admissions. Staff considered that 34–58 per cent of admissions would have been unnecessary if appropriate alternatives had been available in the community. The study was repeated using a different methodology and 50 per cent of admissions were then considered unnecessary. As these results are based on post‐hoc judgements, made with some knowledge of outcome, the conclusions are drawn cautiously. Implications regarding the development of services are considered.