Pre-admission nursing assessment in a Welsh medium secure unit (1991-2000): Part 1 - An analysis of practice and cost

Pre-admission nursing assessment is a widely accepted practice in forensic mental health services, yet has never been described or evaluated. The costs and merits of this practice have not hitherto been the subject of systematic investigation. This article describes the practice of pre-admission assessments and details a method for estimating the cost of forensic nursing assessments in terms of the investment of nursing time. The method was then employed to evaluate the cost of nursing assessments to a Welsh medium secure unit over a 9-year period. The results showed that the demand for, and location, of pre-admission nursing assessment varied considerably over 9 years. Assessments were expensive in the demands that they placed on the resources of the nursing department. Due to the high investment costs, evidence is required to support such practice.