§ Mr. IrvingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many places are(a) planned and (b) available in each regional secure unit;
(2) how many places in each regional secure unit are not currently available for patients; and if he will give reasons for any discrepancy between (a) planned places, (b) existing places and places currently occupied;
(3) if he will list those regional secure units for which there are waiting lists for places; for how many patients; how long they have been awaiting admission; and where they are currently accommodated.
§ Mrs. CurrieThirteen of the 14 regional health authorities now have permanent regional secure units (RSUs) in operation. The remaining region, South West Thames, proposes RSU provision which will function in association with several "close supervision" units already operating in existing hospitals.
Details of permanent regional secure units in operation are shown in the table. Figures relating to staffed and available beds are based on latest available information.
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Region and location Bed complement Number of beds staffed and available 1. Northern St. Luke's hospital, Middlesbrough 30 25 2. Yorkshire Fieldhead hospital, Wakefield 48 48 3. Trent Towers hospital, Leicester 45 30 4. East Anglian St. Andrew's hospital, Norwich 36 36 5. North West Thames Ealing hospital, [St. Bernards wing] 40 40 6. North East Thames Runwell hospital, near Southend 10 10 7. South East Thames Bethlem Royal hospital + linked units managed by Bexley, Bromley, Maidstone and Eastbourne Health Authorities 90 90 8. Wessex Knowle hospital, Fareham 31 22 9. Oxford Borocourt hospital, Reading 14 14 10. South Western Langdon hospital, Dawlish 30 30 11. Mersey Rainhill hospital, Prescot 50 50
Region and location Bed complement Number of beds staffed and available 12. West Midlands Rubery Hill hospital, Birmingham 100 46 13. North Western Prestwich hospital, Manchester (adolescent) 20 20 (adult) 88 44 632 505 In addition to the details provided in the above table, the North East Thames region has plans to provide two further permanent RSUs, providing 62 beds, to complement the one already in operation at Runwell hospital; two further RSUs in the Oxford region, providing 26 beds, are due to be completed in 1988; and a second permanent RSU in the South Western region (30 beds) is also due to be completed at Glenside hospital, Bristol this year.
In most units, regions have decided to bring their bed provision into use on a phased basis as and when staff are recruited and resources permit.
We are awaiting the results of a research study which, together with other relevant evidence on secure facilities, will help us to take decisions on the eventual capacity and requirements of the regional secure unit programme.
Information on bed occupancy and waiting lists is not collected centrally.