§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue guidance to area health authorities on the integration of psychiatric patients into the community and the closing of hospital units at present using beds in this specialty and the cost benefits of a phased eight-year programme.
§ Mr. MoyleOur White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Ill" (Cmnd. 6233) explains the need for health and local authorities to develop mental illness services based in the community to replace the service provided by large and often isolated institutions. The rate at which this transfer can take place depends largely upon local circumstances, but the Government regard progress towards the new pattern of services for the mentally ill as a high priority, and we made this clear to regional and area health authorities in the document "The Way Forward" which was sent to them in September. Regional health authorities have this year produced first strategic plans for the development of their services over the next 10 years, including their plans for the development of local mental illness services and discussions are currently taking place between regional health authorities and my Department on these plans.