§ Mr. Alexanderasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to monitor the progress of patients who have been discharged from Eastdale unit at Balderton hospital in order to assess the effectiveness of that unit.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Eastdale unit at Balderton hospital, Newark provides a rehabilitation service for former patients from special hospitals, mainly Rampton hospital. The unit is managed by the Central Nottinghamshire District health authority. In recent years the unit has catered for nearly 10 per cent. of all patients transferred or discharged from special hospitals.
A detailed review of the Eastdale unit has recently been completed by a joint sub-committee of the Trent regional health authority and the Central Nottinghamshire District health authority following two incidents involving patients from the unit in the latter part of 1981. The sub-committee concluded that the Eastdale unit provides a valuable resource for the rehabilitation of the patients concerned. The report, which was made to the health authorities, contained a number of recommendations but did not include any proposals for detailed monitoring of the progress of former patients.
The Department has in the past provided research funds on a number of occasions for follow-up studies of former special hospital patients. This has proved a difficult area of study as the multiplicity of factors affecting outcome after discharge has often led to inconclusive results. There are no present plans for further studies either generally or particularly in relation to the Eastdale unit. We would give any research proposal serious consideration in the light of competing claims for the research funds available.