The Pathway model is an enhanced care coordination model for homeless people in hospital. We aimed to evaluate the first attempt to apply it on psychiatric wards, which started in 2015 in South London. We developed a logic model which expressed how the Pathway approach might work. Two predictions from this model were tested, using propensity scores and regression to estimate the effect of the intervention among people who were eligible for it.

The Pathway team theorised that their interventions would reduce length of stay, improve housing outcomes and optimise the use of primary care – and, more tentatively, reduce readmission and emergency presentations. We were able to estimate effects on length of stay (−20.3 days; 95% CI −32.5 to −8.1; P = 0.0012) and readmission (a non-significant reduction).

The marked reduction in length of stay, explicable in terms of the logic model, constitutes preliminary support for the Pathway model in mental health services.

We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of female patients presenting with premenstrual disorders to a tertiary service in the UK. We conducted a retrospective case-note review of referrals to the National Female Hormone Clinic from April 2014 to August 2020. Based on clinical assessment, we determined whether the patient met criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder or premenstrual exacerbation of an underlying psychiatric disorder.

Of 146 patients seen in clinic for premenstrual disorders, an ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis was made in 130 (89.0%); a minority 16 (11.0%) did not have a psychiatric diagnosis. Following assessment, 94 patients (64.4%) met criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 67 (45.6%) had exacerbation of a psychiatric disorder.

Patients presenting to this specialist service had complex psychiatric comorbidity; almost half presented with exacerbation of a psychiatric disorder.

To investigate whether a psychiatry-specific virtual on-call training programme improved confidence of junior trainees in key areas of psychiatry practice. The programme comprised one 90 min lecture and a 2 h simulated on-call shift where participants were bleeped to complete a series of common on-call tasks, delivered via Microsoft Teams.

Thirty-eight trainees attended the lecture, with a significant improvement in confidence in performing seclusion reviews (P = 0.001), prescribing psychiatric medications for acute presentations (P < 0.001), working in section 136 suites (places of safety) (P = 0.001) and feeling prepared for psychiatric on-call shifts (P = 0.002). Respondents reported that a virtual on-call practical session would be useful for their training (median score of 7, interquartile range 5–7.75). Eighteen participants completed the virtual on-call session, with significant improvement in 9 out of the 10 tested domains (P < 0.001).

The programme can be conducted virtually, with low resource requirements. We believe it can improve trainee well-being, patient safety, the delivery of training and induction of rotating junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic and it supports the development and delivery of practical training in psychiatry.