§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what steps she is taking to relieve the overcrowding at the three special hospitals, Broadmoor, Rampton and Moss Side, and to provide an element of privacy for the patients;
(2) what steps she is taking to establish the secure hospital unit for mentally ill and handicapped people in each regional health authority area as recommended in paragraph 8 of the Interim Report of the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders.
(3) if she will make a statement of intent on the Interim Report of the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders.
§ Dr. OwenSince my hon. Friend may not be aware of the full statement which my right hon. Friend made on these matters in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Torney) on 18th July—[Vol. 877, c.225–7]—I am reproducing that statement below. Since then 35 patients from Broadmoor have been admitted to the Advance Unit of the Park Lane Hospital and the new buildings at Rampton have been brought into use.
Following is the information:
I am issuing the circular of guidance to regional health authorities to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) on 7th May—[Vol. 873, c. 73)—and this is accompanied by the revised report of an internal departmental working party as well as by the Interim Report of the Butler Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders, the publication of which my right hon Friend the Home Secretary is announcing to the House today.
A copy of the Circular HSC(IS)61 and the reports has been placed in the Library.
I accept the recommendation of both reports that urgent action should be taken to establish in each health region secure psychiatric units for patients who cannot be satisfactorily treated in an open hospital but who do not need the degree of security provided by a special hospital. We shall begin by providing a total of 1,000 places and if the need is confirmed by experience will build up, as and when resources permit, to the 2,000 places recommended by the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders.
374WIn commending to regional health authorities the advice I have received I am stressing the importance of early establishment of these units and I am also asking them to make suitable interim arrangements for treating patients in conditions of security until such time as the new units can be provided. I have made it clear in the circular that the Department is prepared, as the Butler Committee recommends, to make a direct supplementary financial allocation to regions for the setting up of these units.
I recognise, of course, that finance is not the only constraint; trained manpower to staff such units is equally essential and is in scarce supply. Despite the urgency of the need for provision, implementation must, of course, take realistic account of the staffing situation. The circular which I am issuing will ensure that regional authorities have a clear understanding of the Government's policy and will provide the basis for discussions with the regional authorities of the practical problems of implementation.
I accept the Butler Committee comments on the overcrowded conditions at Broadmoor Hospital; I am grateful to the Committee for the tribute paid to the staff there and add my own acknowledgement of the work and loyalty of all disciplines and grades. In spite of trying conditions it has been possible through their efforts to develop active therapeutic programmes while maintaining a high level of security.
We shall remedy the overcrowding at Broadmoor as soon as possible. Work is nearing completion on the advance unit of the new special hospital—Park Lane—to be established at Maghull near Liverpool. It will admit up to 30 patients by October this year, with a further 40 being added by January next. A further 58 beds in new buildings at Rampton Hospital are being commissioned next month and we are studying the practicability of using some of these beds to help in reducing overcrowding at Broadmoor, together with other measures to give interim relief.
Planning of the main Park Lane special hospital is also now at an advanced stage; some of the ancillary accommodation is being built and work on the actual hospital is due to start next spring. This new hospital is to provide places for 180 patients by the end of 1977, with a further 220 to be added some two years later.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she intends implementing the recommendation of paragraph 519 of the Royal Commission on the law relating to mental illness and mental deficiency 1954–57, that dangerous patients should be specially accommodated in a few hospitals having special facilities for their treatment and custody.
§ Dr. OwenThe necessary legislative provisions to implement the recommendation contained in paragraph 519 of the Royal Commission's Report were made 375W in the Mental Health Act 1959. The special hospitals provide facilities for persons subject to detention under that Act who are thought to require treatment under conditions of special security on account of their dangerous propensities. As regards those who might require treatment in conditions of lesser security I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to his later Question.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients in special hospitals are not a security risk.
§ Dr. OwenPatients in the special hospitals are put forward for transfer to a local hospital or discharge to the community when they are judged no longer to be security risks. At the end of November 1974, 129 patients were awaiting or under consideration for transfer to local hospitals, and in 20 cases recommendations for discharge were under consideration.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients have been refused admission to special hospitals for the mentally ill or handicapped who should appropriately have been admitted; and how many have been sent to prison as a result of such non-admittance.
§ Dr. OwenIt is impossible to quantify the number who should appropriately have been admitted. The criteria for admission involves professional judgment on which there are often conflicting views. We have never declined to admit any case which we have been satisfied required to be treated in special security, but in borderline cases overcrowding has been a factor which we have had to take into account.