Four years' experience of a regional secure unit

A descriptive account of the first four years' experience of a regional secure unit (RSU) is given, as well as a brief outline of the wider workings of a regional forensic psychiatry service. During the four years there were 233 admissions involving 176 patients, more than 60 per cent of whom came from courts, Special Hospitals, or custody. Seventy-one patients had committed serious offences. The average length of stay was 8.5 months. Nearly half of the 225 patients discharged were followed up by the forensic service. The evidence presented suggests that the unit is providing the kind of service originally intended for RSUs.