§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the security precautions at Balderton hospital, near Newark, for ex-Rampton patients transferred there; and what changes have been made to the system since the incident involving the rape of a local woman following the absconding of a patient there last year.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergAs a result of the absconding from the Eastdale unit towards the end of 1981, the Nottinghamshire area health authority looked very carefully at the procedures within the unit and reports its findings to both the Trent regional health authority and to the Department. Subsequently, staffing ratios at the unit have been improved and arrangements for better liaison with the local police were made.
Nevertheless, the Trent regional health authority and the AHA also agreed to set up a joint RHA and AHA-DHA sub-committee to review the working of the unit, and members met for the first time on 17 March.