The crisis intervention team at Christchurch Hospital.

It is clear that the Crisis Intervention Team has a vital part to play in the provision of acute psychiatric care in Christchurch. Over the past ten years it has undergone a number of changes in response to the needs of those using the service. Although it is hard to measure its effectiveness, the figures the team has so far collected compare favourably with those of teams operating in other countries. It seems that as pressure comes to bear on the existing services, other centres are looking at the feasibility of setting up their own Crisis Intervention Teams. It may be that as a result, the Canterbury Hospital Board will soon lose the lead it has had in this area, as teams are set up in other main centres around New Zealand.