Do you know who has actually diagnosed this condition?
Normally the diagnosis would come from a Psychiatrist and only after a lengthy history has been taken. If this is the case, the necessary medication would have been prescribed by the Consulatnt Psychiatrist and regular out patient appointments given.
BiPolar doesn't necessarily mean mood swings from high manic behaviour to depressive symptoms - people expereince the illness diffferently. In my expereince, mood stabilisers like Lithium that has already been mentioned, can be effective. However, being on lithium does require the individual to have regular blood checks/monitoring.
As I said earlier, a mental health diagnosis is given by a Psychiatrist. Within the NHS, someone's mental health can be assessed very quickly, if the person is deemed very unwell and may be at risk to themselves or others. In this case, the GP or family can access this service via the Community Mental Health Services Duty Team. If this individual has not been 'officially' diagnosed by a Psychiatrist, this can be done via their GP ie. they should refer them to see the appropriate professional for their catchment area. Mental Health services run differently in different parts of the country but the GP is usually the gatekeeper for these.
Once an individual has been seen by the Psychiatrist, depending on theat individual's need, they will either stay within the care of the Consultant Psychaiatrist within the secondary mental
health services and would be reviewed in the out patient clinic. Frequency of reviews would depend on the individual's need. If the person was managing their illness very well with no relapses, the decision might be taken in consultation with the person that their mental health care was taken over by their GP.
Hope I've been able to answer your questions sufficiently. Best of luck