§ Mr. Cordleasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that during the past 10 years the number of readmissions to mental hospitals has more 188W than doubled; and to what extent this deterioration is the result of inadequate accommodation and facilities for improved diagnosis and modern psychiatric treatment.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonYes; this trend mainly reflects advances in treatment which have reduced the need for long, unbroken periods of hospital care; it is not a deterioration.
§ Mr. Cordleasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that only 8 per cent. of the total expenditure on health services is allocated to mental hospitals and that mental hospitals accommodate more than one-half of the bed patients in the country; and what action he is taking to improve facilities in the hospitals.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI am not clear on what basis these estimates have been made. Any conclusion drawn from them would need to take into account factors such as differences in length of stay and type of treatment. Detailed advice was given to hospital authorities last year on ways of improving the effectiveness of hospitals for the mentally ill.