HC Deb 14 December 1982 vol 34 cc111-3W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown of the expenditure by the Oxford regional health authority of the total capital and revenue receipt allocated for the provision of a regional secure psychiatric unit.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Oxford regional health authority's recurrent regional secure unit revenue allocations, since 1976–77, were:

Recurrent regional secure unit revenue allocations
1976–77
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 246
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services
1977–78
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 284
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services
1978–79
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 308
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services 308
1979–80
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 330
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services 173
1980–81
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 445
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals 269
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services 176
1981–82

Recurrent regional secure unit revenue allocations
RSU Central Revenue Allocations 480
Expenditure on Security in Psychiatric Hospitals 292
Expenditure on other Psychiatric Services 188

Revenue allocation of £510,000 has been made available, for 1982–83, making the total amount received by the Oxford RHA, since 1976–77, £2.603 million. A breakdown of the RHA's revenue spending in 1982–83 is not yet available.

Between 1979–80 and 1981–82 the proportion of Oxford RHA's RSU revenue allocation spent on psychiatric services, including secure facilities, increased from 52, per cent. to 100 per cent.

Capital funds are made available, to health authorities, for the building of approved permanent regional secure units as the costs are incurred. No capital costs have so far been incurred by the Oxford RHA in respect of permanent RSU developments.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which two regional secure psychiatric units are due to open next spring; and which six are being built and where.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

A 60-bed permanent regional secure unit at Towers hospital, Leicester—Trent region—and a 30-bed permanent unit at Langdon hospital, Dawlish—South-Western—are expected to begin to admit patients by April 1983.

Six permanent RSU developments are currently under construction: a 50-bed unit at Rainhill hospital, Liverpool; a 20-bed unit for adolescents, and a 88-bed adapted unit for adults, both at Prestwich hospital, Manchester; a 48-bed unit at Fieldhead hospital, Wakefield; a 36-bed unit at St. Andrew's hospital, Thorpe, Norwich; and a 90-bed multi-site scheme in South East Thames region. Work has recently started on one of the elements in this last scheme, a 30-bed unit at Bethlem Royal hospital, Beckenham, and the remaining four units are expected to be under construction by mid-January 1983.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Oxford regional health authority's regional secure psychiatric unit will be operational; and what type of patient it will cater for.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Plans for the provision of a secure unit for mentally handicapped adults at Borocourt hospital in Berkshire are being considered by the regional health authority and the Department. It is not possible at this stage to say when the unit will be operational.