HC Deb 09 December 1957 vol 579 cc880-1
20. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Health under what circumstances patients at the Rampton Mental Hospital are required to scrub the stone floors in D.1. Block; what cleaning materials are supplied for the operation; what precautions are taken to ensure that injury is not caused to the knees or hands of the patients required to do this work; what are the maximum number of hours per day a mental defective can be engaged on such a task; and what are the curative benefits expected from such work.

Mr. Walker-Smith

This scrubbing is part of the normal cleaning operations of the ward and the cleaning materials supplied are buckets, water, soap, scrubbing brushes and floor cloths. Rubber kneeling mats are provided to protect the knees. The maximum time a patient may be employed is the normal working period of about six hours, of which about four hours might be on actual scrubbing. Among the curative benefits of such work, and of all the occupational training, are the satisfaction of honest work, the instillation of the rudiments of hygiene, and the soothing effect on disturbed patients.

Mr. Dodds

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not appreciate that people who are sent to Rampton are mental defectives and do not have—or should not have—the faculties possessed by people outside? Does he really believe that to kneel for four hours on a stone floor scrubbing—not with soap, but with sand and water—is the best way for these poor devils to be brought back again to the community?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I do not think the hon. Member can have listened to my Answer with his customary attention, for I included soap among the list of materials supplied for this normal cleaning process. As I said in my Answer, I think this work is suitable; it does no harm and can do good to the patients in question.

21. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the rule that adult patients in good health at the Rampton Mental Hospital must go to bed at 8 p.m., why they are required to go to bed at 7.30 p.m. even during the summer months.

Mr. Walker-Smith

In order that all patients may be in bed before the night staff come on duty at 8 p.m., preparations have to begin soon after 7 p.m.

Mr. Dodds

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman really believe that the best way to get adults healthy and back into the community is to send them to bed in the summer at 7.30 p.m. like naughty children? If he is to stay in his office, will he have an investigation made into what is going on at Rampton, as I am sure he and others would be shocked?

Mr. Walker-Smith

It is not a question of being sent to bed at that hour like naughty children. Putting about 1,000 patients to bed in these circumstances is a major operation which takes a good time to perform. The night staff is a much smaller force and could not adequately cope with this job.