This is the final report of a scoping group that aimed to explore a range of issues concerning the general health of people with mental health problems with a view to making recommendations to the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
The report begins by introducing the scoping group, its key recommendations and an overview of physical health in mental health care.
Part two looks at the physical health standards in place in four services: West London Mental Health Trust; psychiatry of intellectual disability; forensic psychiatric services; children and young people with mental health problems.
Part three describes examples of interventions in physical healthcare. These include psychotropic prescribing; promoting healthy lifestyles in psychiatric services; an action plan to improve the physical health of patients in psychiatric services.