INQUIRIES AT LAKESIDE AND ARADALE HOSPITALS - LESSONS AND ADVANCES

The release of reports of inquiries into two related psychiatric hospi tals (Lakeside and Aradale) in Victoria occurred in 1991. These inquir ies identified deficiencies in patient care standards and organisation al dynamics. Knowledge of institutional dysfunction was available from similar Australian and overseas inquiries but nonetheless this knowle dge had not prevented organisational inertia and decline in these two psychiatric hospitals. This paper examines the possible contribution o f a failed medical hegemony model to organisational dysfunction and di scusses organisational life-cycles. It reaches the conclusions that po litically motivated inquiries do not achieve long term positive outcom es and that there is a need for academic research into the organisatio n of psychiatric services and staff productivity and morale.