§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of Rainhill hospital.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Mersey regional health authority is preparing costings and timetables for the closure of Rainhill hospital in the 1990s. This is in line with the region's strategy to devolve services for the mentally ill from large institutions to provide a more local, district based, service.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of hospital beds in Rainhill hospital in each of the past six years to the latest date
§ Mr. John PattenThe information is given in the table: 529W
Average daily number of available beds in Rainhill Hospital Year Number 1978 1,768 1979 1,550 1980 1,440 1981 1,439 1982 1,440 1983 1,367
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current cost of maintaining patients transferring from Rainhill mental hospital to private hostels in North Wales.
§ Mr. John PattenThis information is not available centrally. Mersey regional health authority's general policy in respect of financing transfers from hospital to community settings is to arrange an individual payment in respect of each patient or group of patients depending on the cost of alternative care. Costs vary according to
Numbers of certain categories of staff (whole time equivalents) employed at Rainhill Hospital at 30 September Year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Consultants in mental illness 15.6 14.6 8.8 8.8 8.8 6.7 All medical staff 36.2 35.4 29.2 29.3 28.0 24.4 Qualified Nurses (Registered and Enrolled) 490 507 461 439 466 402 Other Nurses 392 425 447 474 493 491 Psychologists 6.0 6.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 Therapists 27.0 25.9 25.5 26.4 24.5 32.6 Chiropodists * 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 Domestic Services Staff 194 196 171 171 187 165 * Not available
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why patients from Rainhill mental hospital have been discharged to private hostels in north Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenIt is national policy to transfer patients from large mental illness institutions to community settings where this is in the interests of the patients concerned. The Rainhill patients transferred to north Wales are all patients who have no relatives or other links with Merseyside or who are known never to receive visitors. Placements are made only after careful multi-disciplinary assessment of the most suitable alternative accommodation.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if ex-patients of Rainhill hospital are given any choice of establishment when being sent to hostels in north Wales.
§ Mr. John PattenPatients are transferred to the community only after individual multi-disciplinary assessment, which takes account of the patient's views. Liverpool social services department which arranged the placements in question have interviewed all the ex-patients, none of whom has expressed any desire to return to Merseyside.
530Wwhether the transfer is to local authority, voluntary or private sector provision and is affected by such factors as eligibility for social security benefits.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many patients discharged from Rainhill hospital are now resident in hostels in north Wales at the latest date;
(2) how many patients and ex-patients from Rainhill hospital have been transferred to private hostels in north Wales in each of the past three years to the latest date.
§ Mr. John PattenWe do not collect detailed information centrally. The hon. Member may care to write to the chairman of St. Helens and Knowsley health authority for the information.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of staff employed at Rainhill hospital in each of the past six years.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation cannot be provided in the form requested except at disproportionate cost. The readily available information is given in the table.