PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Peck

Publications and source records attributed to E Peck.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Mental health. Doing the hurdles.

A survey of senior mental health managers in London found that less than half thought they would stay in their job more than a year. The resulting turnover could create significant instability. Respondents considered the development of community mental health teams as the top priority for implementation. Financial restrictions were seen as the major obstacle to service development. Most respondents welcomed the national service framework for mental health.

Administrative Personnel↗

Evaluation of community mental health services: comparison of a primary care mental health team and an extended day hospital service.

Alongside mental health policies emphasising the need to focus on people experiencing serious, long-term problems, recent general healthcare policy is leading to the development in the UK of a primary care-led National Health Service. While most primary care-led mental health initiatives have focused on supporting general practitioners (GPs) in managing milder depression and anxiety, this article describes an evaluation comparing primary care-based and secondary care-based services for people with serious long-term problems. A survey of service users was carried out at three points in time using three measures: the Camberwell Assessment of Need, the Verona Satisfaction with Services Scales and the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile. Staff views were sought at two time intervals and carers' views were obtained towards the end of the 2-year study period. The results indicate that both services reduced overall needs and the users' need for information. The primary care service also reduced the need for help with psychotic symptoms whereas the secondary care service reduced users' need for help with benefits and occupation. There were no major differences in terms of satisfaction or quality of life. Primary care-based services therefore appear to have the potential to be as effective as more traditional secondary care services. However, a more comprehensive range of services is required to address the whole spectrum of needs, a conclusion supported by the views of staff and carers.

Adolescent↗

The meanings of 'culture' in health and social care: a case study of the combined Trust in Somerset.

On the 1st of April 1999 Somerset Health Authority and Somerset County Council established a Joint Commissioning Board (JCB) to commission mental health services. Simultaneously, the Somerset Partnerships Health and Social Care NHS Trust was set-up as a combined health and social care services provider; for the first time in England, the majority of social services mental health staff transferred their employment to this Trust. The JCB commissioned an evaluation of the impact of these innovations on users and carers, staff and senior officers and members in the organisations concerned. In the course of the research, one concept frequently recurred as a source of both optimism and concern: 'culture'. However, the meanings attributed to this term varied significantly between stakeholders. After summarising the methodology and the results to date of the evaluation, this paper briefly reviews the conceptions of culture in the literature on organisations, and introduces a taxonomy for discussing culture. That taxonomy is then deployed to explore the ways in which the notion of 'culture' is being applied to and within the combined Trust in Somerset, and the implications of those applications for local practice and national policy around partnership.

Consumer Behavior↗

Integrity, ambiguity or duplicity? NHS consultation with the public.

Recent guidance from the Department of Health and National Health Services (NHS) Executive has stressed the importance of public involvement in the NHS. This paper places this guidance in the historical context of public consultation in the NHS and explores, through a detailed case study, the traditional approach to consultation that the guidance is seeking to change. The paper concludes with some reflections on the challenges that will need to be addressed in order for the guidance to be put into practice.

Community Health Planning↗

Second exon of Tat of HIV-2 is required for optimal trans-activation of HIV-1 and HIV-2 LTRs.

To determine conditions for optimal trans-activation by Tat of HIV-2, genomic DNAs and cDNAs encoding Tat of HIV-2 were tested on their homologous (HIV-2) and heterologous (HIV-1) long terminal repeats (LTRs). It has been previously reported that Tat of HIV-2 could efficiently trans-activate only its own LTR but not that of HIV-1. The inefficient trans-activation of HIV-1 is due, in part, to an acidic residue in the basic, RNA-binding domain of Tat of HIV-2. Here we demonstrate that inefficient trans-activation of HIV-1 LTR is observed only with plasmids that express exon 1 and genomic forms of tat of HIV-2. Expression of both exons of Tat of HIV-2 from cDNA results in trans-activation of HIV-1 that is equivalent to the effect of Tat of HIV-1. In addition, the cDNA form of tat of HIV-2 trans-activates the HIV-2 LTR more efficiently than exon 1 and genomic forms of tat of HIV-2. We conclude that exon 2 of Tat of HIV-2 is important for optimal interactions with the trans-acting responsive regions (TARs) of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and that differential expression of short and full-length Tats of HIV-2 during the viral life cycle might affect viral latency, levels of viral replication, and cellular cytopathology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Power in the National Health Service: a case study of a unit considering NHS Trust status.

There are a number of theoretical frameworks which aim to provide a language for understanding and discussing the nature of power and influence in organisational decision making. One of the most recent and comprehensive frameworks is that developed by Mintzberg. Following a resumé of the most pertinent sections of Mintzberg's framework, this paper uses it to investigate the power relationships in an NHS Mental Health Unit (MHU) considering NHS Trust status. This investigation reveals some important conclusions about the nature of power in the NHS but also explores some of the limitations of the framework as a descriptive and predictive tool.

Decision Making, Organizational↗

Myth and reality.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acute Disease↗

Continuum versus premature aging theories of chronic alcoholism.

An attempt is made to differentiate, both theoretically and experimentally, the continuum theory from the premature aging theory of the chronic effects of alcohol on verbal information processing. It is argued that the continuum model necessitates a demonstration of differential 'pattern' of performance between alcoholics and normals in as much as alcoholic Korsakoff patients (at one end of the continuum) do demonstrate such patterns. Premature aging theories, on the other hand, need to demonstrate only subnormal performance by alcoholics relative to their contemporaries. Two experiments designed to assess these theories provided some evidence for premature aging but none for the continuum theory.

Adult↗

Management monopoly.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Administrative Personnel↗