§ 32. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many schizophrenic patients have been released from mental hospitals since the Mental Health Act, 1959.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyDischarges of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have averaged about 34,000 a year since 1964. Figures for previous years are not available.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonCan the hon. Gentleman say how many of these patients have been readmitted.
§ Dr. DunwoodyI could not without notice say how many. I think that it would be a comparatively small proportion of the number. We need not be too concerned. The fact that we can get so many more patients out of hospital means, inevitably, that some relapse and require further treatment. These are patients who, in days gone by, were doomed to spend their days entirely in hospital.