41. Dr. Bennettasked the Minister of Health what proportion of the total admissions to psychiatric beds in London teaching hospitals, the Maudsley Hospital, and mental hospitals throughout England and Wales were discharged recovered, improved or without improvement during the last convenient period.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithAs the statistics are somewhat complicated, I will, with permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Dr. BennettCan my hon. Friend say whether there are any statistically significant differences in the results from these different types of hospitals?
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithI shall be obliged if my hon. Friend will read the reply in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the statistics:
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThe available figures relate to beds allotted to patients suffering from mental illness or mental deficiency. The proportion of such beds 357 in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching hospitals, at 30th December, 1950, was 1.8 per cent. of the total.
Dr. BennettIs my hon. Friend satisfied that this is a sufficient proportion to represent the amount of mental illness treatable by short periods of in-patient treatment at present in London?
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithMy hon. Friend will know that Section I of the Mental Treatment Act provides that voluntary patients within the meaning of the Act may be received in any hospital approved for the purposes of the Section by the Board of Control. The teaching hospitals declined to avail themselves of the opportunity thus provided because they would not ask the Board of Control for approval. I think the initiative, therefore, lies with them.