HC Deb 22 February 1999 vol 326 cc135-6W
Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are followed in resolving differences of preference between authorities and individual patients as to their transfer from a learning disability hospital to alternative care; how many patients have been moved against their express wish over the last three years; and with what medical consequences for the patients involved. [71487]

Mr. Hutton

The move of patients from hospital to alternative care is the responsibility of local statutory authorities, taking into account the needs and wishes of people with learning disabilities, their carers and/or their families.

Guidance has been issued to local authorities and health authorities stressing the importance of joint working between relevant agencies, providers and professionals which involve users and carers, in providing a well co-ordinated range of services to meet the diverse needs of this client group.

However, we do not have any centrally available information about the number of patients moved from learning disability hospitals against their wishes in the last 3 years.

Percentage
Distribution of practices2 Proportion of overspend attributable to each type of practice3
£1m+ overspenders1 Dispensing Prescribing Dispensing Prescribing
Bury and Rochdale 0 100 0 100
Calderdale and Kirklees 4 96 0 100
Cambridge and Huntington 57 43 66 34
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 49 51 57 43
East and North Hertfordshire 13 87 12 88
East Kent 22 79 16 84
East Lancashire 6 94 9 91
East London and the City 0 100 0 100
East Riding 19 81 17 83
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 12 88 8 92
Enfield and Haringey 0 100 0 100
Gloucestershire 33 67 45 55
Leeds 7 93 5 95
Leicestershire 15 85 24 76
Lincolnshire 58 42 87 13
Liverpool 0 100 0 100

Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are currently accommodated within hospitals for learning disabilities. [71488]

Mr. Hutton

This information is not held centrally. However, it is estimated that there were 8,400 in-patients in hospitals under the care of a mental handicap consultant at 31 March 1998.