HC Deb 27 October 1980 vol 991 c170W
Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons confined in institutions within his responsibility who are detained for no specified period of time have been there for more than 20 years.

Sir George Young:

The number of patients detained in NHS hospitals for more than 20 years is not collected centrally. The number of patients who had been detained in a single special hospital for more than 20 years as at 30 September 1980 was 101. The number of patients in special hospitals who have been detained for more than 20 years in more than one special hospital or in both a special hospital and an NHS hospital is not readily available