HC Deb 18 July 1955 vol 544 cc19-20

The numbers of defectives notified as being in need of hospital care and still awaiting admission on 31st December, 1954, the date of the last completed return, were:—

Region Low grades Others
Urgent Non-urgent Urgent Non-urgent
Newcastle 203 211 142 357
Leeds 111 60 167 128
Sheffield 328 250 189 265
East Anglia 164 12 91 53
North-West Metropolitan 76 32 146 128
North-East Metropolitan 105 88 133 241
South-East Metropolitan 177 242 34 48
South-West Metropolitan 187 141 97 184
Oxford 86 53 76 90
Bristol 35 31 23 42
Wales 107 136 271 493
Birmingham 270 105 113 120
Manchester 187 57 250 94
Liverpool 101 31 131 41
TOTAL 2,137 1,449 1,863 2,284

33 and 34. Mr. Barter

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he is satisfied that accommodation available for short-term care of mental defectives is fully utilised by local authorities; and if not, to what extent it is not utilised;

(2) which local authorities do not make use of the short-term care provisions for mental defectives authorised by his Department.

Miss Hornsby-Smith

During 1954, 1,700 mental defectives were received for short-term care in hospitals and 461 elsewhere. Ninety local health authorities in England and Wales have power in schemes approved under Section 28 of the National Health Service Act to maintain defectives in these circumstances. No specific amendment of schemes is needed to enable them to secure removal to a hospital. No information is available about the number of places suitable for such cases at a given date or the number of authorities who in fact have initiated action.

Mr. Barter

Will the Parliamentary Secretary circularise local authorities again informing them of the value of this provision to those who have the constant care of mental defectives?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, a circular was sent to all local authorities and there has been quite a substantial response, in that each year there has been an increase in the number of patients for whom these facilities have been arranged. I do not think that it calls for another circular, but no doubt the publicity given by this Question will emphasise the sympathy of the House with this problem.

Dr. Summerskill

Can the hon. Lady say why no annual report is made of these figures? They seem to be very important statistics which her Department should have. Why are they not available?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

We have statistics of these cases admitted. But the hon. Member asked for the number of places available. In some cases, where normally permanent patients in mental hospitals are allowed out on holiday, the opportunity is taken to use the bed thus made available for a patient staying for a short period. There are no permanent statistics of the availability of beds on that basis, but we have a record of the number of people who are able to make use of such facilities.