§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many psychiatric beds have closed in each year since 1980–81 in(a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland. [18049]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonInformation on the number of beds closed is not centrally available. The pace of change in this sector is directed by patient needs. The organisation of long-stay care and care services in the community are determined by continuous joint assessment of local needs involving health boards and local authorities. The aim is to secure the most effective package of services, both in hospital and in the community, that meet the specific needs of patients and carers.
The table shows the net average available staffed psychiatric beds available as at 31 March from 1981 to the latest available year.
Year Scotland Strathclyde 1981 16,953 8,004 1982 16,765 7,952 1983 16,569 7,852 1984 16,444 7,721 1985 16,463 7,766 1986 16,197 7,567 1987 15,820 7,253 1988 15,508 7,017 1989 14,973 6,791 1990 14,407 6,598 1991 13,927 6,358 1992 13,251 5,951 1993 12,561 5,594 1994 11,727 5,203 1995 11,034 4,881 Notes:
1. Comprises specialities of mental illness, psychogeriatrics, child psychiatry and adolescent psychiatry.
2. Includes beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals. Joint-user hospitals are local authority institutions in which accommodation is made available to health boards in terms of the sixth schedule of the National Assistance Act, 1948. Contractual hospitals are institutions where health boards have customer arrangements with voluntary bodies for the use of beds.
3. Strathclyde information comprises Argyll and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire health board areas.
Source:
Information and Statistics Division, NHS in Scotland.