§ Mr. Arthur Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) since the recent form of keeping statistics on psychosurgery operations, how many such operations have been reported;
(2) in which hospitals in the United Kingdom psychosurgery operations are currently performed;
(3) what types of psychosurgery operations are most commonly used:
91W(4) if he intends to keep statistics of success and failure rate of psychosurgery.
§ Mr. MoyleHealth Notice (77)121, issued in August last year asked area health authorities in England to arrange for mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units to make annual statistical returns to my Department on psychosurgery operations. The first complete set of returns will relate to 1978, but corresponding returns for 1977 were invited.
353 hospitals have provided information for 1977. They report 32 psychosurgery operations performed at the following sixteen hospitals:
- Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, London.
- Brook General Hospital, Woolwich.
- Atkinson Morley's Hospital, Wimbledon.
- Salford Royal Infirmary.
- Leeds General Infirmary.
- Winwick Hospital, Cheshire.
- Pindersfield Hospital, Wakefield.
- Hurstwood Park Hospital, Haywards Heath.
- Burden Neurological Hospital, Bristol.
- Plymouth General Hospital.
- Frenchay Hospital, Bristol.
- Lancaster Moor Hospital.
- Preston Royal Infirmary.
- Manchester Royal Infirmary.
- North Manchester General Hospital
- St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
Information is not collected in the statistical returns on the types of psychosurgery operations used, but I understand that the Royal College of Psychiatrists is currently conducting a survey on this. It is not feasible to collect meaningful information about the effectiveness of operations through statistical returns.