§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement on the escape by a patient from Arnold Lodge regional secure unit, Towers hospital, Leicester, on Thursday 26 February;
(2) if he is satisfied with security arrangements at Arnold Lodge regional secure unit, Towers hospital, Leicester;
(3) how many paitents are currently at Arnold Lodge secure unit, Towers hospital, Leicester; and what is the staff/patient ratio;
(4) how many patients have absconded from Arnold Lodge secure unit, Towers hospital Leicester, since the opening of the regional secure unit;
(5) in the event of an escape from a regional secure unit who exactly is notified; and, in the case of the specific escape from Arnold Lodge, Leicester, whether the police were informed.
§ Mrs. Currie[pursuant to her reply, 4 March 1987, c. 627–28]The running of the Arnold Lodge secure unit is the responsibility of the Leicestershire district health authority. The unit currently has 30 beds available, of which normally 25 to 27 are in use. The minimum nurse/ patient ratio is 2.3 nursing staff to every patient. I understand that, since the unit opened, there have been 17 cases in which patients have broken the terms of their authorised periods of time spent outside the unit either within or outside the main hospital precincts with or without an escort ("parole") which is allowed as part of the rehabilitation process. There has also been one escape. Parole is granted only after very careful consideration by the clinical team and on the basis that it is safe and that there is no forseeable danger of the patient breaking the parole agreement. Individual parole arrangements are reviewed each week. Very many parole decisions have been made since Arnold Lodge and its predecessor the interim secure unit at Grange Lodge were established.
Notification of an escape from the unit or of a breach in parole is a matter for local decision based on the individual circumstances of the case. In the latest incident on 26 February the patient escaped through a bathroom window and was detained by police about five hours later. Neither this nor any of the other recent incidents is regarded by the health authority at this stage as the result of a specific failure by staff. However, the health authority has reviewed parole procedures, tightened physical security and, following a report to the health authority in March, has established a committee of inquiry to inquire into the circumstances of the recent incidents and to make any necessary recommendations about the unit. Ministers have asked to be kept informed of the outcome of that inquiry. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the chairman of the Leicestershire health authority to obtain any further information he requires.