DEPARTMENTS OF PSYCHIATRY IN GENERAL HOSP ITALS - STATE-OF-THE-ART INGERMANY

Departments of Psychiatry in Germany were approached by direct investi gations via a questionnaire regarding various parameters of structure and performance during 1993, since only insufficient administrative da ta on the structure of inpatient care were available. An expert inquir y that had been officially conducted in Germany in 1975 had recommende d for 200 beds for inpatient accommodation. The present investigation, however, revealed that the average number of beds was only 80 in almo st all hospitals. The majority of the Departments approached were enga ged in 100% patient care, so that the discussion regarding two classes of psychiatry in respect of impatient nursing care is now obsolete. T here is also no significant difference between the Departments of Psyc hiatry in hospitals in the pre-reunification West German and East Germ an areas, the only exception being the sizes and hence the capacities of the relevant departments.