HC Deb 06 June 1989 vol 154 cc97-8W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staffed hostels for discharged psychiatric patients provided by(a) local authorities and (b) voluntary bodies are available for (i) short-term accommodation andd (ii) long-term accommodation.

Mr. Freeman

The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. The numbers of homes, hostels and residential places for mentally ill people in each local authority in England is published in "Homes and Hostels for Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped People (A/F 11)". A copy of the 1986 publication is in the Library; and a copy of the 1987 publication, which it is hoped will be available shortly, will also be placed in the Library.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health districts which have care registers for patients with special mental health needs; and when he plans to direct other districts to establish such registers as recommended in the report of the inquiry into the care and after-care of Miss Sharon Campbell.

Mr. Freeman

This information is not collected centrally. Planning guidance, issued to health and local authorities in July 1988, requires each district to have developed by 1991 a "care programme" to provide a system of co-ordinated continuing care for people chronically disabled by mental illness. Further guidance being prepared by the Department will include the need for a register of patients.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the inquiry into the care and after-care of Miss Sharon Campbell that he issue a written summary, classifying their statutory duties to provide after-care for former mentally disordered patients, to health and local authorities.

Mr. Freeman

This recommendation is under consideration.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that employing authorities have issued guidelines to staff in respect of violence from clients, and the reporting of such incidents of violence, as recommended in the report of the inquiry into the care and after-care of Miss Sharon Campbell.

Mr. Freeman

The Health and Safety at Work legislation places a statutory duty on employers to provide a safe working environment for their staff and the Health and Safety Executive published "Preventing Violence to Staff" with general guidance on this subject last year.

Complementing this for the health and personal social services are: The report, "Violence to Staff, DHSS Advisory Committee on Violence to Staff", chaired by Lord Skelmersdale, which was issued at the same time as the Sharon Campbell report to directors of social services and NHS general managers and the report of the Association of Directors of Social Services, "Guidelines and Recommendations to Employers on Violence Against Employees" which was sent to local authorities in 1987. Last February we issued a video on violence to staff to directors of social services and to general managers. W hen issuing the video we said the aim was that authorities should use the Skelmersdale report and the video to stimulate constructive discussions amongst members, managers at all levels, staff and their representatives about the development of strategies and the other recommendations in the Skelmersdale report, which included the need for staff to report violent incidents. We said also this material should be useful in training courses to increase the awareness among the staff and managers of the problem of violence and what might be done to counteract it.

At law it is for local authorities and health authorities, as the employers of the staff in these services, to take appropriate action and this was generally considered to be the best level at which action should be taken.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue the guidelines about psychiatric case management and community care reviews, as recommended in the report of inquiry into the care and after care of Miss Sharon Campbell; and to whom these guidelines will be made available.

Mr. Freeman

Further guidance to health and local authorities is being prepared on the components of "care programmes".