Brunswick House: A weekend crisis house in North Staffordshire

Abstract

Aims and method: To describe Brunswick House, the first crisis house in North Staffordshire, and to assess the use of acute psychiatric wards and the local accident and emergency department by Brunswick House residents. A mirror design study compared the use of these facilities in the year before with the year after a resident's first admission to Brunswick House. Results: Data collected on a cohort of Brunswick House residents between March 1999 and December 1999 showed a reduction in both the use of acute psychiatric wards and use of the accident and emergency department after the index admission to Brunswick House. Clinical implications: Brunswick House provides an alternative to NHS facilities for people in crisis.