HC Deb 19 July 1977 vol 935 cc454-5W
Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many beds are devoted to psychiatric patients in London's teaching hospitals.

Mr. Ennals

Following are the figures for available psychiatric beds in hospitals in the Bethlem and Maudsley group and in all hospitals in health districts with medical teaching responsibilities in the Greater London Council area. The figures relate to the year 1976.

Mr. Moyle

Since 1974 the policy of City and Hackney Health District has been to provide a comprehensive district based psychiatric service. At present, newly arising long-stay psychiatric patients are being accommodated within the district's mental illness provision in the Hackney and German hospitals. In the long term the area health authority plans to concentrate mental illness provision, including provision for the new long stay, at the Hackney Hospital in an upgraded block, with some additional provision at the planned new "nucleus" hospital and at St. Bartholomew's. The area's strategic plan also envisages long-term provision for the elderly severely mentally infirm at St. Leonard's and Hackney hospitals.

Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many medium secure units for psychiatric patients have been opened during the last two years; how many will be opened within the next 12 months; and where.

Mr. Moyle

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 20th June.—[Vol. 933, c. 367–8.] Both the South Western and North Western Regional Health Authorities hope that the regional secure units they are planning to be sited at Langdon Hospital, Dawlish, and Prestwich Hospital, Manchester, respectively will be completed in 1980. All regional health authorities are engaged in planning secure psychiatric units and preliminary planning submissions have been received from eight regions. It is hoped that the units will be established in the early 1980s.