BMJ 1995;311:1567 (9 December)

Letters

... but short on evidence

EDITOR,--Charles Tannock and Trevor Turner's xenophobic outburst concerning psychiatric tourism is long on innuendo and short on evidence.1 The authors say that "a considerable number of patients now seem to be emanating from the European continent." "Many others," they say, "arrive from Third World countries. . . . Once cared for in our NHS system they return every time their illness deteriorates."

I know that there are plenty of crazy people roaming the corridors of Heathrow airport, but I never realised that many of them were en route to London's psychiatric wards. Perhaps we could be told exactly how many make up this "considerable number." The authors estimate that "at least a tenth" of their inpatients are from abroad (does this include the Republic of Ireland?) but then go on to say that accurate figures are hard to obtain.

I have worked for eight years as a general practitioner in . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Psychiatric tourism is overloading London beds
Charles Tannock and Trevor Turner
BMJ 1995 311: 806. [Extract] [Full Text]

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