Pathways into care and satisfaction with primary care for black patients in South London

Abstract

Background: There is evidence in the literature to suggest that black patients access different pathways to mental health care. These pathways are influenced by clinical diagnosis as well as previous satisfaction with services.

Aims: To study pathways into care of both black and white patients to the Maudsley Hospital who had come into contact with secondary care services for the first time or after a gap of 1 year.

Method: After identifying the ethnicity and mode of entry into psychiatric services, patients were approached to participate in the study. In addition to sociodemographic details, pathways to care encounter and GP satisfaction scales were given to the patients. A total of 156 white patients and 85 black patients were recruited.

Results: As expected black patients were less likely to come through primary care services and were are also more likely to be dissatisfied with primary care compared with white patients. They were more likely to suffer from schizophrenia. It is likely that dissatisfaction with primary care services may lead to more coercive pathways into secondary care.

Declaration of interest: The study was funded by the Department of Health.

• Black
• ethnicity
• pathways into care
• schizophrenia
• primary care