To study the attitudes and opinions of doctors and medical students with regard to psychiatric illness a questionnaire was sent to all medical students (832) and all doctors of all grades (441) at a London teaching hospital.

A total of 520 questionnaires were returned. More than 50% felt that people with schizophrenia and drug and alcohol addiction were dangerous and unpredictable. It was felt by the majority that people were not to blame for their conditions and there were low negative responses towards lack of treatability for a majority of conditions.

There were more optimistic views with regard to treatment than the general population. There appeared to be a lessening in stigma as experience increased. This would suggest that early improved education and exposure in the future may lead to a greater decline in stigmatised attitudes.

This was a retrospective case note analysis of all referrals to an inner-London child and family consultation service aiming to examine any changes in patterns of referral and attendance of Bangladeshi and indigenous families over the previous 10-year period.

Bangladeshi referrals increased over the period but remained under-represented compared to indigenous families. They were less likely to attend an initial appointment, but once engaged with the service dropout rates were unaffected by ethnicity.

Improved communication between the department, families and referrers may help to increase understanding of the function of the department and lead to more equitable uptake of services in the future.

A postal survey was sent to all consultants in the psychiatry of learning disability from four English regions. Their views on job satisfaction, their core roles and the management re-structuring of services were elicited.

The proportion agreeing or strongly agreeing with each management option was 79% for integrated mental health–learning disability trusts, 61% for specialist learning disability trusts, 47% for care trusts, 10% for primary care trusts and 5% for social services. Only 34% felt consulted or able to influence the process of change and only 33% were satisfied with the current management changes within their trust but 67% were satisfied overall with their jobs.

Management from integrated mental health–learning disability trusts is the most preferred option for psychiatrists in learning disability. A large number of consultants, though otherwise satisfied with their jobs, feel excluded or unable to influence the current changes in management structures. A model of integrated service provision in line with the government's learning disability strategy is presented.

Forty-seven UK mental health services participated in a 1-day audit of prescribing of antipsychotic drugs. Audit standards were derived from national guidelines and consensus statements.

Of the 3132 patients, 20% were prescribed a total dose of antipsychotic medication above that recommended by the British National Formulary. The majority of case notes failed to record an indication for high-dose prescribing or that the patient had been informed; only 8% had undergone an electrocardiogram. Forty-eight per cent of patients were prescribed more than one antipsychotic drug.

Antipsychotic prescribing for in-patients often runs counter to existing guideline recommendations. It is likely that many patients who are prescribed high doses or polypharmacy are unaware that their prescription is out of line with guideline recommendations and is inadequately monitored.

A survey was undertaken to determine the working arrangements of learning disability psychiatrists in Scotland. A questionnaire was sent to each of the 15 NHS providers of learning disabilities services in Scotland. Results were converted to the equivalent of whole time equivalent (WTE) consultant.

The results showed a wide range in the level of psychiatric staffing throughout services. The median consultant learning disability psychiatrist in Scotland covers a catchment population of 160 000 and works with 0.65 WTE non-consultant career-grade psychiatrists and 0.68 WTE training-grade psychiatrists. They are responsible for a median of 3.7 assessment and treatment beds, no rehabilitation beds, no day hospital places, 23 long-stay beds, 0.6 respite beds and 0.7 forensic beds. At the time of the survey, 15.6% of consultant posts were vacant.

Service provision appears to be variable across Scotland. The implications of this may warrant closer scrutiny.

To identify and evaluate the reliability and quality of educational materials provided to individuals with schizophrenia and their carers. Materials used by mental health professionals working in community and in-patient settings were collated. Two independent raters used the ‘Discern’ questionnaire to assess the publications.

Fifteen documents were identified, but only 11 were suitable for evaluation. Interrater reliability of ratings using the Discern tool was highly significant. No educational package scored maximum marks, but four scored in the good quality range. About a fifth of the materials in widespread use were assessed as of poor quality.

The use of a rating instrument to assess the quality of educational publications appears to be a reliable and acceptable way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of widely available materials. Staff can use these data to assess the quality of their preferred materials against other publications and make an informed selection.

This study aimed to assess the current level of amphetamine prescribing for adults in drug services in the West and East Midlands. A questionnaire was developed to investigate prescribing habits and attitudes, and was addressed to the senior member of staff in each drug service within the West and East Midlands area.

A total of 41 services were identified, and 29 questionnaires were returned (a 71% response rate). Of the services that replied, 20 (69%) prescribed amphetamines, with 132 (12%) patients identified as amphetamine misusers currently receiving a prescription. However, 26 (90%) services felt that substitute prescribing did have a role in a comprehensive service for this group.

Although amphetamine prescribing has been shown to reduce both criminal and injecting behaviour, only two-thirds of the local services prescribe such drugs, with a small percentage of amphetamine users receiving a prescription. There is a need for a national consensus about substitute prescribing of amphetamines and increased flexibility within drug services when managing the problem.

A postal questionnaire was circulated to all consultants in old age psychiatry in Wales, examining provision of services with reference to the indicative service levels defined by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Royal College of Physicians.

The response rate was 100%. Levels of staffing and resources overall fell well below recommendations and varied widely between services. The average population over 65 served by a whole time consultant was 22 995; more than twice that recommended. No association was found between morale or how well population needs were perceived as being met, and the size of the population served.

Considerable investment in staff and other resources is needed for the recommendations made by the royal Colleges concerning service levels and, by implication, service quality to be met.

My topic is the problem of drawing from psychiatry for a fiction writer. This is a subject on which I am eminently well-qualified to speak. I have written five novels and a short-story collection, all of which have dealt with minds in disorder. Two of my novels – one called Spider, the other Asylum – have been focused centrally on psychiatry and psychiatric illness, so it is about the writing of these two novels that I want to talk today.