§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provisions the National Health Service in Wales has made for back-up services for mentally ill patients who have been discharged from hospitals.
§ Mr. GristThe provision of appropriate services for people with mental illnesses who have been discharged from hospital is a matter for district health authorities in collaboration with a range of other bodies, including social services departments, housing bodies and the primary health care and voluntary sectors. The Welsh Office provides central support for the development of community-based mental illness services. In 1988–89 some £2.4 million of additional central funds have been allocated to Welsh health authorities for new projects for the care of people with mental illnesses.
§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proposals he has to deal with those mentally ill patients in Wales discharged from hospitals without alternative accommodation.
§ Mr. GristThe Department's draft mental illness strategy makes it clear that patients should only be discharged when appropriate alternative services are available to meet their individual needs.