HC Deb 16 May 1938 vol 336 cc30-1
6 Mr. Lyons

asked the Minister of Health (I) whether he is satisfied that local authorities are making adequate use of their powers under the Mental Treatment Act, 1930, to provide proper hospital treatment for mild mental cases which will not entail detention in lunacy;

(2) whether he is aware of the unnecessary suffering which may be caused to persons afflicted with mild mental disorder who seek voluntary treatment and who thus have to enter lunatic asylums; and whether he will consider what steps can be taken to ensure other residential treatment in the circumstances?

The Minister of Health (Sir Kingsley Wood)

Many local authorities are providing for the treatment of voluntary patients by the establishment at their mental hospitals of admission units, which are separate from the main institution but where all the resources of the hospital can be applied to the treatment of early cases. The number of persons presenting themselves for voluntary treatment at public mental hospitals has grown every year since the Mental Treatment Act came into force. Last year the voluntary admissions amounted to 8,414, which was 31.3 per cent. of the total admissions to those institutions.

Mr. Lyons

Can my right hon. Friend say how many local authorities have added to their establishments in the way he has indicated?

Sir K. Wood

I should be glad to inquire, and I will inform my hon. and learned Friend.

Mrs. Tate

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the real difficulty is that there is an acute shortage of Medical men trained in the treatment of these cases, that one of the few clinics for training medical men in this way is the Tavistock Clinic, which is only supported by voluntary contributions, and is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is an urgent need for a larger supply of trained medical men?

Mr. Sorensen

Will the right hon. Gentleman inform the hon. and learned Member who asked the question that lunatic asylums do not now exist, but that they are called mental hospitals?

Sir F. Fremantle

Does the right hon. Gentleman's reply include any statement as regards the invaluable out-patients' departments that are being established?