Gurney (1) recommends a process of shared care between secondary and primary care services. Patients with bipolar disorder will be managed by secondary services through a process known as the Care Programme Approach (7). The GP notes should hold a copy of the care plan but if in doubt, a primary care nurse can contact their local mental health service and ask to speak with the patient’s care co-ordinator. This is the starting point for developing a shared care plan. Patients who are very stable and on long-term mood stabilising medication may be discharged back into primary care.
NICE (3) recommends that people should stay with the mental health service until after a 12-month period of stability.
Person-centred care is the overriding context and this includes collaboration with the patient’s family (8). Being with a loved one who is acutely ill with depression or mania is hard to witness. Manic patients can be irritable and brittle and may angrily respond to efforts to curb their reckless behaviour.
Depressed patients may be agitated and unable to carry out their normal social functions. Family members can be real experts when it comes to recognising signs and symptoms and this expertise should be regarded with respect. All concerns should be taken seriously.
Part of the patient’s care plan may include psycho-education and relapse prevention. Secondary care may assume and request that primary care will look after the patient’s physical health.
Psycho-education is best addressed when the patient is stable and cognitively and emotionally able to collaborate. Patients may be very embarrassed about some of the things they have done while manic, so, as always, a sensitive approach should be taken. Such education should include general health promotion and advice around avoiding challenging and stressful circumstances where possible.
Relapse prevention planning involves the recognition of early warning signs, family members can be particularly helpful here. These early signs, for example, increased energy and an elated mood may indicate the need for an intervention like anti-manic medication.
The physical health of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is notoriously poor (9). People with bipolar disorder should have their health monitored proactively. Gurney1 recommends an annual review including blood pressure, plasma glucose level and weight. Keeping a case register of all people with SMI within a GP practice will enable this to be well organised.
Summary
Bipolar is a lifelong and disabling condition, though its exact course is highly variable. Acute phases of depression or mania should be cared for within local mental health services but shared care should follow a period of stability.
Primary care nurses can make a positive contribution to a person’s care through recognition, referral, and liaison with the secondary service and collaboration with family members. They can contribute specifically to psycho-education, relapse prevention and physical care and should not underestimate their ability to make a positive difference.