How did we let it come to this? A plea for the principle of continuity of care

Summary The administrative imposition of new models of psychiatric care in the community has led to the fragmentation of services and a deteriorated experience for both service users and professionals. The author makes a plea for psychiatrists to reassert the principle of continuity of care, which has been all but lost from the practice of psychiatry during the past decade. It is possible to meet the clinical objectives of necessary support and treatment for service users within the community without the current multiplicity of team structures seen throughout England.