Is there a need to safeguard specialist psychiatric units in the NHS? Henderson Hospital: a case in point

For the purpose of this article, a specialist psychiatric unit refers to any community project, out-patient clinic, hospital ward or. as in the case of Henderson, a whole hospital which specialises in providing a specific type of treatment or treatment to a particular patient group(s). Specialist psychiatric units may be particularly vulnerable at this time when, because of the implications of Workingfor Patients, many psy chiatrists' minds are focused on the need to justify and define their 'core services'. Many specialist psy