In order to examine the opportunities for senior house officers (SHOs) to undertake emergency psychiatric assessments we conducted a retrospective cohort study of such assessments in a district general hospital.

Senior house officers conducted few assessments for self-harm compared with psychiatric liaison nurses (P < 0.001), and were involved in only 40% of emergency referrals where psychiatric opinion was requested. Senior house officers continue to undertake more assessments out of hours than any other group (P < 0.01).

Although the introduction of psychiatric liaison nurses has improved capacity and reduced waiting times for emergency assessment, the opportunity for SHOs to undertake emergency assessments has been reduced, particularly with regard to assessment of suicidal risk following self-harm. These results suggest the need for better monitoring of SHO experience, particularly in the light of service developments that have an impact on psychiatric training.

To discuss the working of a new paediatric liaison service. To review paediatric referrals to a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) 21 months before and 21 months after the establishment of this service.

One hundred and eighty-three children were discussed in the 21 months after the new service was set up. There was a rise in referral to CAMHS from 72 to 120. Non-attendance rates from paediatric referrals also rose. Likely reasons for these changes are discussed, and include an increase in referrals of children with somatisation.

Interdisciplinary liaison appears to carry many advantages, but is likely to increase referral rates to the CAMHS. This has both clinical and resource implications.

To survey the forensic psychiatry training and experience received by a sample of successful MRCPsych candidates. A questionnaire was sent to all 208 candidates who passed the Spring 2001 MRCPsych Part II examination.

A total of 99 candidates replied. Of the 42 who had not trained in forensic psychiatry posts, two-thirds had never visited a prison.

More supervised visits to prisons should be provided for basic specialist trainees.

The need for training in the management of personality disorder is now firmly established following publication of policy implementation guidance for the development of services for people with such disorders. We report on the development of a training course for people from a range of disciplines, which is group-based, psycho-analytically informed and experiential in nature.

Those attending the course rated it highly. They showed marked changes in attitude towards, and greater confidence to work with, the client group, and were more willing to communicate their own difficulties openly both within and between agencies, to pass on their skills and to develop further the networks they had formed.

Given a containing structure and reflective space, professionals from a number of agencies rapidly become able to use difficult theory to develop a ‘feeling language’ to communicate about clients with personality disorder. User presentations can be important to these changes. Repeating such a course over a number of years might lead to a more therapeutic culture within mental health services and associated agencies. The course format is likely to be transferable.

To examine research productivity of staff working across 57 National Health Service (NHS) mental health trusts in England. We examined research productivity between 2010 and 2012, including funded portfolio studies and all research (funded and unfunded).

Across 57 trusts there were 1297 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) studies in 2011/2012, involving 46140 participants and in the same year staff in these trusts published 1334 articles (an average of only 23.4 per trust per annum). After correcting for trust size and budget, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust was the most productive. In terms of funded portfolio studies, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust as well as South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust had the strongest performance in 2011/2012.

Trusts should aim to capitalise on valuable staff resources and expertise and better support and encourage research in the NHS to help improve clinical services.

A confidential questionnaire was mailed to all trainers and trainees on the UCL/North London rotation (n=127), asking about the content and ways of improving supervision.

Seventy-six per cent of trainees received regular, timetabled supervision. Ninety-four per cent of trainees felt it was a good idea, but identified improvements, including more planning, setting an agenda and flexibility. There were differences between reports from trainers and trainees regarding the content of supervision. Respondents' comments are included.

Although supervision is popular and widely practised, this survey suggests that it is still not universally practised despite College stipulations. The content of supervision could be broadened to include more non-clinical matters such as teaching and careers guidance.

The main aim of the study was to establish the proportion of hospital trusts in England and Wales in which training in the assessment of suicide risk and risk of harm to others is available to mental health professionals. A questionnaire was sent to clinical directors covering training on these subjects and in mental health legislation, details of training and the existence of risk-related policies.

Seventy-six per cent of trusts said they provided training in suicide risk assessment for junior psychiatrists; for hospital and community nurses, the figure was just over 50%. Between 50% and 60% of trusts said they provided training in the assessment of risk of harm to others. Provision of training in mental health legislation was said to occur in most trusts. In some key areas of risk management, hospital policies were uncommon.

Despite the current importance of risk assessment in mental health services, many hospital trusts do not provide their staff with relevant training.

This study examines prescription and monitoring of lorazepam on three acute adult psychiatric wards at a university teaching hospital. Retrospective data from 102 consecutive in-patients were analysed.

There were 83 patients (81.4%) who were prescribed lorazepam, however 45 of these (46%) were never administered it. Indication for lorazepam prescription was documented by the doctor in 35 patients (42.2%). Administration by nursing staff was documented in the medical notes on 86 occasions (60.0%) and on 32 of these (37.0%) the indication was unclear. On 21 occasions (14.7%) more than 2 mg was given; 13.7% of prescriptions were not reviewed and 64% of those reviewed after more than 4 weeks.

Lorazepam was overprescribed and inadequately monitored, which may increase the risk of dependence.