Table 1 Analysis of the allocation meeting transcripts

Information received about the patient

A: Well what was her problem again originally?

A3: There wasn't much in the referral letter was there? CMHT 10

Team Leader: "She's currently under Sure Start for help with her son's behaviour...So it's been turned down by the Mother and Baby Unit....What does anyone think? Seems to me that she's got mild to moderate depression, with no particular risks, and she's only had 20 mg of fluoxetine, so she really should be treated in primary care. " CMHT 11

CPN: It's got "he wants to end it all" (voice muffled...)

SW: Yeah, it reads as though ... that sounds actually more worrying than the other one... CMHT 23

"Doesn't say. I don't know what's been going on. ....But at the moment she does warrant additional assessment" CMHT 18

Views on referral and referring GP

S1: Not sure I agree with that. It's a very good referral.

S2: No, I think it's a good referral, yes.

S3: Yes. CMHT 11

"Talk about clogging up the system with people. I mean, he's on 40 mg now." CMHT 18

Capacity of team

CPN: "This woman is having some sort of adjustment, isn't she, difficulties? I'd like to think that we wouldn't have somebody like this in our service for a long period of time. So we need to think, like we've said before, about endings. Short term intervention maybe, couple of appointments and..." CMHT 11

Decisions about management of accepted referrals

CPN: Are we going to see him?

Psych: Yes, with the thought of early discharge back to GP. CMHT 16

A1: "It sounds like she's ready to be motivated and if she gets the help in the course of a group there might not be any need for her to have medication."

Psych: "I think that sounds appropriate."

A1: "What do you want us to do then?" Psych: "Outpatients." CMHT 18