Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:19:23.309Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Inconsistencies in risk assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Paul Harwood
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of Leeds
David Yeomans*
Affiliation:
Bradford Community Health Trust, Somerset House, Manor Lane, Shipley, Bradford BD18 3BP
*
Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An audit of case notes and a survey of in-patients was carried out to evaluate risk assessment on an in-patient ward. We found considerable inconsistencies between the risk assessment records in medical and nursing notes. A systematic survey found higher levels of risk than either set of notes, but combining the notes improved the quality of risk assessment compared to the survey. We suggest three key areas for action to improve risk assessment.

Type
Audit
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Blom-Cooper, L., Halley, H. & Murphy, E. (1995) The Falling Shadow: One Patient's Mental Health Care: 1978–1993. London: Duckworth.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1993) The Health of the Nation . Key Area Handbook, Mental Illness. Heywood: Department of Health and HMSO.Google Scholar
Ritchie, J., Dick, D. & Lingham, R. (1994) The Report of the Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Christopher Clunis. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1996) Assessment and Clinical Management of Risk of Harm to Other People, Council Report CR53. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1998) Management of Imminent Violence. Clinical Practice Guidelines to Support Mental Health Services, Occasional Paper OP41. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.