The Islington Mental Health Liaison Team provides an acute psychiatric assessment service for patients attending the Whittington Hospital, North London. Many patients are discharged back to their general practitioner (GP), however there have been no studies investigating the communication from liaison psychiatric teams to GPs. Therefore, the liaison team conducted a survey to discover how Islington GPs would like information relayed to them. Currently, we send letters that are 2-3-sides long via the hospital postal system.

One hundred and fourteen Islington GPs were sent a dated letter, a one-sided questionnaire and copies of four different types of assessment letter. Of the 59 (52%, which is comparable with other postal surveys) GPs who responded, 95% requested same-day feedback of the assessment and 85% thought that a faxed one-page structured form most suitable for this; 92% indicated that they would prefer a full letter at a later date; and 83% indicated that they would prefer the mental health liaison team to prescribe initially if a change of psychotropic medication was indicated.

It was clear from these results that we were not matching GPs' expectations because 50% of our letters took more than 3 days to arrive. The findings were consistent with similar surveys about GP communication (Reference EssexEssex, 1991; Reference Smith and TrotterSmith & Trotter, 1992; Reference Walker, Boenlhoff and EaglesWalker et al, 1998). As a consequence the liaison team are now faxing one-page structured forms on the same day as the assessment and providing fuller letters if requested, or felt appropriate by senior staff.