Abstract
Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Care (Second Edition) is a source book for the staff of all inpatient units. It was conceived as a best practice protocol but became obvious that there were no guides to practice. What most units required was access to discussion documents about the role of inpatient units. The mental health services in Australia, the nature of inpatient care, pathways to care and the alternatives to admission are discussed. The real job of such units is the efficient and compassionate treatment of people who are seriously ill. The main body of the book is concerned with such issues - admission, emergency treatment, patients needing special care and the organizational requirements to facilitate this. There are substantial resource materials and guidelines for risk assessment and management.