§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many times his Department has 326W taken over responsibility for mentally handicapped institutions where the standards laid down by legislation have not been met on more than one occasion; what instructions his Department has given to the authority concerned in each case; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what action has been proposed by the national development team for the mentally handicapped where its investigations have shown that standards are below the requirements laid down in appropriate legislation; what action his Department has taken; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungStandards for mental handicap hospitals and institutions are not laid down by legislation. However, advice and guidance is available to the responsible health and local authorities through, for example, the development team and the comprehensive publications of the national development group. These include "Improving the Quality of Services for Mentally Handicapped People: A Checklist of Standards", which is designed to help authorities monitor their own services and which was distributed to all authorities concerned last December.
It is for the field authorities concerned to consider and take any action on the development team's recommendations, but, since 1978, the team has been asked to follow up all its visits as a matter of routine. So far, nine follow-up visits have been made.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to carry out his duties under section 4 of the National Health Service Act 1977, by providing where necessary special hospitals where mentally handicapped patients receive the standard of care laid down in the Act; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 9 June.—[Vol. 6 c.70–71]. Mentally handicapped patients who require treatment in a special hospital are normally admitted to Rampton or Moss Side hospitals.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the names of institutions for the mentally handicapped about which there have been complaints over the past four years; if he will list the nature of the complaints; if he will indicate what action was taken either by the responsible area health authority or by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI regret that this information is not collected centrally. Responsibility for investigating complaints rests primarily with the health authority concerned, and authorities are not required to notify the Department about the complaints they receive or the action taken.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the names of the hospitals and institutions visited by the national development team for the mentally handicapped, or their staff; if he will indicate the establishments where the team is satisfied with the systematic assessment of the individual needs of each mentally handicapped patient; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungSince being set up in 1976, the development team for the mentally handicapped has 327W visited the hospitals in the following list and their associated units. Over 150 local authority residential establishments have also been visited.
It is for the health and local authorities concerned to decide whether to publish the team's report on its services. The team has emphasised in its published reports the importance of regular assessments followed by goal-setting programmes to help the individual mentally handicapped person make progress.
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Hospitals visited by the development ream for the mentally handicapped Area Health Authority Hospital Bedfordshire Bromham Berkshire Borocourt Wayland Style Acre Cumner Rise Smith Birmingham Middlefield Monyhull Bromley Cheyne Angas Home Calderdale Fielden Standsfield View Cheshire Newchurch Warrington Crow Wood The Manor Mary Dendy Cranage Hall Croydon St Lawrence's Cumbria Dovenby Hall Derbyshire Aston Hall Milner House Makeney Bingham House Whittingham Hall Martin Moor Ridgeway Dronfield Doncaster St. Catherine's Durham Aycliffe Earls House Sedgefield East Sussex Laughton Lodge Foredown Mount Pleasant Hill House East Down Pouchlands Hampshire Coldeast Tatchbury Mount Hereford and Worcester Lea Lea Castle Dean Hill Hertfordshire Cell Barnes Harperbury Leavesden Winifred House Kingsbury Chace Village Kirklees The Mansion Lancashire Royal Albert Leeds Meanwood Park Wharfe Grange Crooked Acres Leicestershire Leicester Frith Mount Sorrel Stretton Hall Lincolnshire Caistor Harmston Hall Fleet St. Peter's Liverpool Olive Mount Rathbone Merton Sutton and Wandsworth Queen Mary's Norfolk Little Plumstead
North Yorkshire Claypenny Whixley Thornton Lodge Nottingham Balderton Ransom Victoria Sandfield Highbury Kilton Oxfordshire Bradwell Grove Cotshill Salford Swinton Sheffield Aughton Court Grenoside St. Joseph's Middlewood Lightwood House Rivermead Wales Court Staffordshire Bagnall Stallington St. Edward' s Surrey Botleys Park The Manor Rotherham Beechcroft Wakefield Fieldhead Walsall St. Margaret's Warwickshire Abbeyfield Bramcote Chelmsley Coleshill Weston