§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will name those mental handicap hospitals which have firm dates for closure; and if he will give a breakdown by region of these hospitals showing the anticipated dates and the numbers of residents to be discharged;
(2) if he will list by region the mental handicap hospitals which have not yet made any firm plans for closure; and if he will give the number of residents residing in these hospitals for the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. Currie[pursuant to her reply, 16 December 1986, c. 466–67]: The primary objective of policy on services for mentally handicapped people is the development of better, and more locally based, services. The reduction in size of some hospitals and the closure of others should be a consequence of achieving that aim, and should be accompanied by the development of alternative, and more homely, National Health Service or other residential
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Mental handicap hospitals currently planned to close by 1995 Region Hospital Numbers of residents on 31 December 1985 Planned closure date (i) (ii) Northern None Yorkshire Whixley 129 1993–94 Claypenny 244 1990s Trent Dronfield 17 1987 Mastin Moor 135 1989 Ridgeway 42 1987 Aston Hall 333 mid 1990s Makeney 56 1988 Glengate 144 1987 Kibworth Hall 125 1988 Harmston Hall 285 1993–94 Fleet 108 1988–89 Ransom 50 1988–89 Balderton 267 1992–93 Grenoside 112 1989 Rivermead 95 1992 Lightwood House 71 1994 East Anglian Hales 105 1989 North West Thames Leavesden 1,017 mid-1990s North East Thames Leytonstone 195 1993 South Ockendon 632 1993 South East Thames Darenth Park 548 1988 Eastry 119 1991 Lenham 66 1987 Goldie Leigh 47 1988 Laughton Lodge 76 1990 Pouchlands 62 1989 Highland Court 37 1986–87 Eversley House 19 1987 Hill House 46 1990 Lanthorne 22 1987–88 Cheyne 33 1988 South West Thames Forest 202 1990 Wessex Cold Harbour 133 1990 Buderop 100 1991 Coldeast 353 1994 facilities for mentally handicapped people who need residential care. As well as alternative longer-term residential care, overall alternative provision must cater for the large number of people receiving respite care, assessments and so on.
The information given in the table is of closures planned up to 1995. Column (i) lists hospitals where public consultation has been completed and closure has been agreed, with the target date by which the health authorities aim to have arranged suitable placements for all residents so that the hospital may then close. Column (ii) lists hospitals where replacement facilities are being planned with a view to health authorities being in a position to be able to close during the year shown, subject to the results of consultation. A final closure date will depend on many factors, including the availability of suitable alternative services.
The table gives numbers of residents (short-term and long-term) on 31 December 1985 (the latest available figures), rather than numbers of residents to be discharged. We would expect admissions as well as discharges to be made to many of these hospitals for some time to come.
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Region Hospital Numbers of residents on 31 December 1985 Planned closure date (i) (ii) Oxford Wayland 115 1994 South Western None West Midlands Lea Hospital 181 1993 Coleshill 200 1993 Abbeyfields 93 1993 Dean Hill 58 mid-1990s Ridge Hill 127 mid-1990s Middlefields 156 mid-1990s Mersey Mary Dendy 262 1989 North Western Ormskirk 23 1988 Offerton House 118 1990 Swinton 41 1987 Calderstones 915 1993 Royal Albert 610 1995 Brockhall 1,106 1995 1 31 October 1985 figures supplied by Trent regional health authority.