§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of persons in Scotland who were readmitted to psychiatric hospitals in 1975, specifying those persons readmitted for a second, third and fourth time and over.
§ Mr. Harry EwingIn 1974, the latest year for which statistics are available, there were 14,239 readmissions to psychiatric hospitals in Scotland out of a total of 25,271 of all admissions. Statistics of second, third, and fourth readmissions are not available for Scotland as a whole.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the number of persons readmitted to Bellsdyke Hospital, Larbert, in 1975, giving the numbers of patients readmitted for a second, third and fourth time and over;
(2) what estimate he makes of the number of persons readmitted to Bells-dyke Hospital, Larbert, in 1975 who could have settled back into their own communities if there had been enough support and aftercare available.
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§ Mr. Harry EwingThe hospital records show that in 1975 there were 942 admissions to Bellsdyke Hospital, of which 119 were second admissions, 25 third admissions and four fourth admissions. Without disproportionate cost in professional consideration of the details of individual cases, no estimate can be made of how many readmissions could have been avoided if enough support and aftercare had been available.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he makes of the number of persons readmitted to psychiatric hospitals in Scotland in 1975 who could have settled back into their own communities if there had been enough support and after-care available.
§ Mr. Harry EwingNo official estimate can be given but it is generally agreeed by psychiatrists that a number of patients currently in psychiatric hospitals could be discharged if a greater amount of suitable community support were available.