Attitudes of inner-city GPs to shared care for psychiatric patients in the community

The role of the general practitioner (GP) in shared care is critical. This study sought to investigate the views of inner-city GPs and compare them with those of previously surveyed GPs working in a predominantly suburban region.(1) Sixty-five GPs working in inner London were surveyed using a 15-item self-report questionnaire to ascertain attitudes towards care of patients with serious mental illness (SMI). Inner-city GPs reported having more SMI patients on their practice lists than the mainly suburban GPs, Though shared care was favoured by the majority in both studies, this was significantly less common among inner-city GPs who were also less inclined to organize overall care. These findings could not be explained by methodological differences. The attitudes of inner-city GPs towards the care of the mentally ill appear to differ from their suburban colleagues; their needs clearly merit special consideration.