Objectives: The aims of this study were to review the outcome of those
long-stay patients two years after identification and to compare thos
e discharged with those remaining in hospital in order to identify fac
tors which might contribute to their continuing stay. Methods: All the
new long-stay patients who were more than one year and less than six
years on Ist March 1992 were included in the study. Their current plac
ement. Legal status and demographic and clinical details were recorded
. Findings: Sixtynine percent of the original cohort remained in hospi
tal, 9 % had died, and 22 % had been discharged, mainly to highly staf
fed accommodation. Approximately half of those remaining in hospital w
ere considered suitable for community placement. Those remaining in ho
spital were older, had longer durations of illness and were more likel
y to be dangerous than those discharged. Conclusions: Despite continui
ng developments in community services a considerable number of new lon
g-stay patients still remain in hospital and the proportion of those c
ompulsorily detained remains unchanged.