Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the availability of care for people with mental illness in Western Pomerania, Poland.
Material and methods: The study was designed as a diagnostic survey. It was conducted among representatives of health care facilities providing mental health care services under a contract with the National Health Fund.
Results: Respondents were asked to assess the availability of services at their institution. Very good availability of facilities was indicated by more than half of respondents (58%), and satisfactory availability by 35%. None of the respondents indicated poor availability, one respondent answered 'do not know', and one marked no answer. Respondents were asked to assess the situation of mental health care in Western Pomerania. They were asked to assess the availability of outpatient care, and separately to assess the availability of inpatient care. Almost every fifth respondent (19%) rated the availability of outpatient care as good, 61% as satisfactory, 13% as poor, and 7% of surveyed subjects had no opinion. The availability of inpatient care was rated good by 16% of respondents. Most respondents, 55% rated it as satisfactory, and 26% of respondents rated it as poor. One respondent did not have an opinion on this subject.
Conclusions: 1. The respondents positively assess the availability of the institutions they represent. 2. Access to mental health care across the whole region is assessed as satisfactory. 3. Access to outpatient care is better assessed than residential care.