BLIND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS

HL Deb 15 June 1989 vol 508 cc1637-8WA

Baroness Fisher of Rednal

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are satisfied that the future needs of blind mentally handicapped persons are given adequate consideration when hospital closures take place.

Lord Henley

It is the responsibility of health authorities to ensure that mentally handicapped people, including those who are visually handicapped, are not discharged from hospital until their needs have been assessed and arrangements made for those needs to be met appropriately. Advice to authorities in meeting the needs of those mentally handicapped people with special needs was contained inHelping Mentally Handicapped People with Special Problems 1984, a copy of which is in the Library.