AIMS AND METHOD To assess the need for the provision of low secure care in Northern Ireland. A survey of the providers of healthcare in Northern Ireland was conducted using a study tool based on Royal College of Psychiatrists Low Secure Network Standards admission criteria. RESULTS A total of 105 patients were assessed as needing low secure care including 93 patients currently admitted to hos...

Background: Transitional care programs are a growing topic in health care systems across the country, with a focus on achieving a reduction in hospital readmissions and improving patient and medication safety. Numerous strategies have been employed and studied to determine successful approaches to patient transition from the hospital setting to the home setting. Pharmacist-mediated postdischarg...

OBJECTIVE To provide an update on rehabilitation in Madagascar by using local knowledge to outline the potential barriers and facilitators for implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Disability Action Plan (DAP). METHODS A 14-day extensive workshop programme (September-October 2014) was held at the University Hospital Antananarivo and Antsirabe, with the Department of Health Mad...

This paper provides an overview of how social services are organised in European Union countries. With a special focus on Spain and countries with federal or semi-federal organisation, the starts by analysing from legal perspective. It comparative perspective several concrete aspects services: sources funding (national, regional, local, etc.), organization service provision, expenditure, human ...

The New Zealand junior doctors' strike provided an opportunity to consider strategies that might be employed to overcome the international shortage of junior doctors. This article reports the experience of the emergency department (ED) and internal medicine (IM) services at Wellington Hospital during the national strike, in which medical services were primarily provided by specialist consultant...

Declaration of interest B.F. & P.W. work for Gloucestershire, a rural county. Local experiences of lack of resources in services for people with learning disabilities, coupled with expanding population size, have caused concern over whether this reflects a nationwide problem. The importance of equity in mental health services (Acheson, 1998) is clear. Recent work has looked at allocation proces...