§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of mentally handicapped people who have had their transfer facilitated from National Health Service hospitals to the community since 1978.
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§ Mrs. CurrieI regret that I am unable to give my hon. Friend the exact information requested. Information on numbers of mentally handicapped people settled in the community is not centrally collected.
The table shows the number of people who have been discharged each year into the community after a stay of five years or more in hospital.
Discharges1 from mental handicap hospitals and units in England after durations of stay of five years or more Year Discharges1 1980 657 1981 764 1982 764 1983 967 1984 1,375 1985 1,522 1986 1,951 1 Excludes transfer to other NHS hospitals and special hospitals.