HC Deb 26 October 1982 vol 29 cc381-2W
Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance is currently issued by his Department to health authorities in respect of their management of the financial affairs of mentally handicapped patients in residential care; and what steps he intends to take to implement the recommendations in paragraphs 86–87 of the third report of the development team for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Rossi:

Guidance on the management of the financial affairs of hospital patients, including those in mental handicap hospitals, is contained in the "Hospital Memorandum on Patients' Moneys" (HM(71)90), which was issued in November 1971. A copy of the memorandum is in the Library of the House.

The problem of accumulating balances in the accounts of some patients who are unable to manage their own affairs is a longstanding one and there are no easy solutions. Last year, we issued a consultation paper also in the Library—on the proposal to form patients' clubs referred to in the development team's third report but this did not receive general support. We are in the process of substantially revising the guidance to health authoritites and this will take the development team's views into account.

Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his estimate of the total value of benefits unclaimed by health authorities in 1981 on behalf of mentally handicapped patients for whom the authority acts as appointee; and whether he is satisfied that the value is as low as possible;

(2) whether he is satisfied that health authorities are complying with hospital memorandum (50)101—"duty to claim benefits for patients unable to claim for themselves"—in the light of the findings of the development team for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Rossi:

We share the development team's concern and shall be reminding health authorities of their responsibilities as appointees in the revised guidance which we shall be issuing to them on the management of patients' financial affairs. It is not possible to quantify the total value of unclaimed benefits by appointee health authorities.