§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will 281W seek to amend the Mental Health Act, 1959, to ensure that any person brought into a mental hospital, under Section 29, in respect of whom no hospital order is made within 72 hours shall be so advised in a prescribed written form, and the next-of-kin or nominated best friend also so advised simultaneously.
§ Mr. AlisonWe agree that the nearest relative, and the patient if he is capable of understanding, should be told of the legal position if such a patient remains in hospital informally. But we see no need for a statutory requirement, nor for such notification necessarily to be in writing. If my hon. Friend knows of any case in which the position has not been properly explained and will give me particulars, I will look into it.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that emergency compulsory admissions under Section 29 of the Mental Health Act, 1959, are being operated with adequate scrutiny and safeguards; what study he has made of any evidence or misuse of this Section; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonI understand that there was concern a few years ago about the use of Section 29 in some areas, and that the Chief Medical Officer of my Department wrote to doctors about this in October, 1966. I am not aware of any present cause for concern.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the number of detainees under Section 29 of the Mental Health Act, 1959, in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971, respectively; and in how many of such cases hospital orders were duly made.
§ Mr. AlisonThe number of admissions in England under Section 29 in these years were 14,965, 15,383, 15,926 and 15,378. Of these patients 8,286, 8,202, 8,220 and 7,643 respectively were immediately thereafter detained for further observation under Section 25, and 118, 130, 117 and 115 respectively for treatment under Section 26.