Case register data are used to describe the age and diagnostic distribution of people using the community psychiatric nursing (CPN) service in Salford. Data are related to those in hospital-based psychiatric services. Annual prevalence rates grew dramatically, and increasing numbers of people were found to have received continuous CPN care for 2 years and over. Following the establishment of the CPN service in a primary care setting, the proportion of patients suffering from depression in receipt of CPN care increased, and the resulting overall diagnostic distribution of CPN patients became similar to that of the specialist psychiatric services as a whole. Patients under the sole care of community psychiatric nurses (about 19% of the total CPN prevalence each calendar year) contributed to an overall increase in treated prevalence. The data indicate that CPN services in Salford are treating the morbidity found at primary care level, rather than reducing the demands made on the traditional services.