Patients’ records are among the most basic of clinical tools and are involved in almost every consultation. They are there to give a clear and accurate picture of the care and treatment of patients and to assist in making sure they receive the best possible clinical care. They help doctors to communicate with other doctors, with other healthcare professionals and with themselves (Medical Defence Union, 2003), and are essential to ensure that an individual’s assessed needs are met comprehensively and in good time. Psychiatric practice has moved from the unidisci plinary outpatient clinic and specialist inpatient assessment, with separate records being kept by each discipline, to the longterm management of chronic illness. The latter involves delegated and dispersed responsibility within teams comprising different disciplines and agencies and working from different sites, with emphasis on clinical guidelines and risk management. The tasks can be summarised as:
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