HC Deb 18 November 1981 vol 13 c174W
Dr. Roger Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the present number and standard of facilities for the chronic schizophrenic patients who have been released from institutional care to community care; whether he is satisfied that each health authority has sufficient residential accommodation, hostels and half-way homes, sheltered workshops, and other facilities and that there are available sufficient personnel to supervise these arrangements; and what consideration he has given to making the general practitioner the person in overall control of the team supervising the continuous care of the patient in the community.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The majority of such patients return to their homes and families. The remainder are not catered for as a distinct group, but as one of a number of categories of mentally ill people in need of community care facilities.

As regards community facilities for the mentally ill generally, I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) on 4 June.—[Vol. 5, c. 402–5.]. There are no plans to change the present balance of responsibilities between NHS and local authority care givers.