§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information is available to him about readmissions of patients into National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation on readmission is available centrally only for mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units. The total numbers of such readmissions between 1979 and 1983 are given in the table. Further details for the years up to 1982, including some analyses by sex, age and diagnostic group, are given in the report "In-patient statistics from the mental health inquiry for England 1982", copies of which are in the Library.
157W
Readmissions to mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units in England Number of readmissions * Year Mental illness hospitals and units Mental handicap hospitals and units 1979 120,073 15,733 1980 127,184 17,915 1981 132,893 20,854 1982 133,475 23,820 1983 138,080 29,729 * Some patients have more than one readmission in a year and are represented more than once in the figures. The figures include admissions as part of a programme for sharing responsibility with caring relatives.