HC Deb 22 October 1984 vol 65 cc501-3W
Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the numbers of children under 16 years resident in (a) local authority and (b) registered voluntary homes for mentally handicapped children in each of the last 10 years in England and Wales, respectively.

Mr. John Patten

Figures for England for the years 1974–1982 were given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir Hugh Rossi) in his reply to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983 at columns397–398. Figures for Wales were given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales in his reply to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983 at columns 417–418.

The corresponding figures for 1983 are given in the table:

Children under 16 years resident in homes for the mentally handicapped
Year Local authority homes Registered voluntary homes
England Wales England Wales
1983 1,361 73 * 36
* Information on the total number of children resident in registered voluntary homes in England is no longer collected, but there were 695 places available in such homes in 1983.

More detailed information on these figures from 1974 onwards for England only is contained in a series of publications issued by DHSS and entitled "Homes and Hostels for the Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped" (Series A/F/11), copies of which are available in the Library.

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals (a) by total and (b) as a proportion per 100,000 of the population in each of the last 10 years in England and Wales, respectively.

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals by age bands in England and Wales, respectively.

Mr. John Patten

Available information for England was given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) in his replies to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983. at columns398 and 395–397, and for Wales by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales in his replies to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983, at columns 416 and 417–418. Figures for 1982 are given in the table. These include some children admitted for short-term care, assessment and/or treatment.

TABLE 1
Resident patients at 31 December 1982 in mental handicap hospitals and units in England
Age group Numbers
0 to 1 7
2 to 4 61
5 to 9 295
10 to 15 1,266
TOTAL under 16 1,629
Rate per 100,000 population under 16 16.2

TABLE 2
Resident patients at 31 December 1982 in mental handicap hospitals and units in Wales
Age group Numbers
0 to 9 20
10 to 15 57
TOTAL under 16 77
Rate per 100,000 population under 16 12.6

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of discharges of mentally handicapped children under 16 years from mental handicap hospials together with the places discharged to, for each of the last 10 years in England and Wales, respectively.

Mr. John Patten

The available information for England up to 1981 was given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) in his reply to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983 at columns395–396; and for Wales by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, to the hon. Member on 28 April 1983 at columns 417–418. Comparable figures for 1982 are given in items 1, 2 and 3. These include discharges of children admitted to hospital for short periods for family relief, assessment and/or treatment.

There were 10,107 discharges of children under 16 years from mental handicap hospitals and units in England in 1982.

Discharges from mental handicap hospitals and units in England by recommended outcome, 1982
Age group
Recommended outcome Under 10 years 10–19 years
Psychiatric bed in other hospital, Mental Nursing home etc. 5 147
Guardianship under S41 Mental Health Act 1959 158 53

Age group
Recommended outcome Under 10 years 10–19 years
Day patient care and related after-care 76 604
Out-patient care and related after-care 462 1,315
Local Authority Social Services care/ residential accommodation 556 2,638
Special school care 137 581
Family doctor referral 1,154 2,258
Others (including no further treatment, not known etc.) 1,384 2,867
Total 3,932 10,463

Discharges from mental handicap hospitals and units in Wales by recommended after-care for patients aged under 16 years.
Recommended after-care Numbers
To psychiatric bed in:
Hospital 4
Mental nursing home
Convalescent or after-care home
Local Authority residential accommodation 3
Probationary discharge leave
Guardianship 8
Day patient care
Out-patient care 3
Local Authority Social Services care 44
Other psychiatric hospital after-care
Combinations of Out-patient, Day patient, Local Authority Social Services and other psychiatric hospital after-care 9
Non-psychiatric hospital treatment
Discharged against medical advice
GP care 36
Special school care 29
No further treatment 479
Others and no details 60
Total discharges 675