In order to determine the approximate point‐prevalence of psychiatric disorder in an acute geriatric hospital, a cross‐sectional sample of 81 inpatients was approached for interview with the Geriatric Mental Status schedule (GMS). Psychiatric diagnoses were generated using the AGECAT computer program. Nine of the 81 patients could not be interviewed. Organic psychosis (dementia or delirium) affected 44% of 72 patients, 18% were cases of depression and there was one case each of schizophrenia and phobic disorder. A further 31% of patients had some psychiatric symptoms (usually anxiety), which were not of sufficient severity to warrant classification as cases of disorder. Sixty‐seven of the 72 interviewed patients had an abbreviated mental test score (AMTS) recorded in their notes, and these scores correctly predicted the presence of organic psychosis in 92% of these patients. Age, sex, AGECAT diagnosis and AMTS were not related to length of stay in hospital or discharge destin