An Open Access Nurse Led Primary Care Pilot Depression Service in South London
The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust and the Department of Health jointly funded a 6 month pilot depression service in Lambeth developed by the Health Services Research Section of the Institute of Psychiatry and the Department of General Practice, GKT School of Medicine both based in London.
The aims of the Open Access Nurse Led Service were to encourage access to primary care for patients with depression and to encourage adherence to treatment and follow-up by supporting GP management. The aims should be considered against a background where although up to 16% of the population has depression, only half will consult a GP; GPs manage the majority of patients who present in primary care without referral to psychiatric services and where many patients drop out of treatment and follow-up for depression.
Evaluation has shown that mail shots are likely to yield a good initial response and may be repeated at intervals but the response to such mail shots needs to be considered and accurately resourced.
The nurses have been able to facilitate access to primary care and patients have found it easy to open up to a nurse. General Nurses can be trained to support GPs managing patients with depression. The depression nurses need to be supported through ongoing training, regular clinical supervision and peer support, thus the relationship between the depression nurses and the primary health care team is important.
A report was submitted to the British Journal of General Practice on 18th December 2002 by Lorrie Symms, Andre Tylee, Anthony Mann, Roger Jones, Susan Plummer, Maria Walker, Carole Duff and Rebecca Holt. The report was accepted on 27th January 2004 and published in the journal in September 2004.
