ABSTRACT
In this chapter the reader will develop an understanding of:
how forensic mental health services are changing from a bureaucracy controlled by the Home Office to a planned market regulated by the Department of Health
the emerging opportunities for market research and the importance of researchers who can obtain access
how the focus group method was used to assess the views of patients about the effectiveness of service provision
the origins of consensus conferences, their usefulness and limitations
how a consensus-building conference was used to identify priorities for market research in forensic mental health
the lessons learned from applying market research in the forensic mental health service.
