HC Deb 17 June 1994 vol 244 cc688-9W
Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the national referral pattern for adolescent psychiatric services; and what was the regional breakdown of contractual referrals for each health region for the period 1979 to 1993.

Mr. Bowis

Adolescent psychiatric services take place in a variety of settings from primary health care to highly specialised units. Most adolescents are seen by a multi-disciplinary team in a clinic or unit with only a very small minority being referred for specialist in-patient care.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the most common forms of mental illness for children and teenagers; and what was their incidence in the period 1979 to 1993.

Mr. Bowis

There are a wide range of mental health disorders with varying degrees of prevalence of which most are conduct and emotional disorders. Their prevalence range from 7 to 21 per cent. depending on such factors as the age of the child and whether the child is living in an urban or rural setting.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital charges were levied on each regional adolescent psychiatric unit in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Sackville

Estimates of the level of capital charges which will be included in contract prices are collected in respect of individual trusts and authorities. This information is provided as an estimate for the trust or authority as a whole and is not broken down to reflect the amount of charge that will be recovered through the provision of any particular service that the trust or authority may provide.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds designated specifically for adolescent psychiatry there were in each year since 1979 and at the latest available date.

Mr. Bowis

Adolescent beds are not identified separately in central Government statistics.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and teenagers suffering from serious mental illnesses were admitted to psychiatric hospitals in the period 1979 to 1993.

Mr. Bowis

This information is not collected in the form requested. Figures on finished consultant episodes and deaths and discharges relating to child and adolescent psychiatry for England are shown in the table for the years for which figures are available.

Child and adolescent psychiatry (England)
Number
Discharges and Deaths1
1979 2,463
1980 2,589
1981 2,766
1982 2,517
1983 2,668
1984 2,659
1985 2,704
1986 2,448
Finished Consultant Episodes1
1988–89 3,344
1989–90 2,819
1990–91 2,791
1991–92 2,542
1 The figures for the number of discharges and deaths are not directly comparable with those for the number of finished consultant episodes.