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A Tomison

Publications and source records attributed to A Tomison.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Assessment of the perceived need for a psychiatric service to a magistrates' court.

One approach to diversion from custody of mentally disordered offenders is to provide a psychiatric liaison service to local magistrates' courts. We aimed to establish whether such a scheme was needed locally. Questionnaires for the bench, defence solicitors and bail information officers, enquiring as to the perceived need for a psychiatric assessment, social service care and specialist bail provision, were distributed for all those appearing in a magistrates' court who had been held overnight in police custody. Responses were received for 223 individuals. An immediate psychiatric report was considered necessary for 4.9% of cases. In 2.2% of cases it was thought that remand in custody could have been avoided if such an opinion had been available. In 8% of cases it was thought that remand in custody could have been avoided if specialist bail provision were available. We conclude that availability of a specialist bail provision would lead to a greater number of diversions from custody than providing a psychiatric service to this magistrates' court.

Civil Rights↗
PubMed1995

Maximum and medium security: the interface.

This paper examines transfer delays for patients moving between medium and maximum security hospitals. Delays appear to be getting shorter and Special Hospitals in particular respond very quickly to requests for admission. Recommendations are made for further improvements in transfer procedures. The authors argue that with closer working relationships between clinicians in Special Hospitals and Regional Secure Units, and the new proactive approach to transfers, the system will become increasingly flexible and responsive. Consequent improvements in the quality of care in Special Hospitals are anticipated, making the arguments for closing them, in turn, less convincing.

Adult↗