This issue is important because anecdotal reports from clinicians suggest that those being treated as inpatients, or those receiving continuous psychiatric care in the community, may have higher levels of cardiovascular risk factors than those not receiving this continuous care. Also although physical health monitoring and intervention in the UK is principally the responsibility of primary care services, those receiving continuous care sit uneasily between the responsibilities of primary and secondary care services with some general practitioners reporting that they had presumed that psychiatric services would conduct all physical health checks and, also many patients are reluctant to visit their GP