ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION We live in times of great scientific and medical inventions. Psychiatry has undergone one of the most dynamic developments over the past 50 years. The fast-developing pharmaceutical industry has armoured us with a range of effective psychotropic medication, which has greatly affected the way our services are now organized. In recent years, we have seen specialist community mental health teams established across the country, offering home treatment, early intervention and intensive support for people with complex needs. The National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health, published in 1999, is a strategic document for the development of adult mental health services in the National Health Service (NHS).1 The NHS Plan, which followed the NSF in July 2000, promotes new models of care and contains key targets and core standards for the health and social care sectors, based on the NSF.2 This ambitious and far-reaching plan requires strong clinical leadership and managerial skills for its successful implementation.
