HC Deb 16 March 1989 vol 149 cc328-31W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether every regional health authority area contains secure psychiatric units; how many such units there are in each region; and what steps are being taken to provide further such units;

(2) how many secure units are available to his Department for accommodating mentally disturbed individuals; whether they are available for use by mentally disturbed prisoners; what capacity is available for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

Every regional health authority, except South West Thames, has a regional secure unit and many also have interim secure facilities. Officials are to meet representatives of South West Thames Regional Health Authority in April to discuss their proposals for secure provision. Following is a list of regional secure units and interim secure facilities.

Regional secure units: summary of latest position—December 1988
("MI denotes mental illness hospital, "MH" denotes mental handicap hospital. This applies to the main hospital, not necessarily to the patients admitted to the Unit. The dates shown for opening are when the Unit first admitted patients.)
Region and regional bed target (basis: 20 per million population) Permanent RSU(S) completed under construction/proposed Declared interim secure facilities
Northern—62 Hutton Unit, St. Lukes Hospital, Middlesbrough (MI) 25 beds—opened November 1980
Yorkshire—71 Newton Lodge, Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefleld (MH) 48 beds—opened July 1984 Broadgate Hospital, Beverley (MI) 2 Units—38 beds (Total)
Clifton Hospital, York (MI) 15 beds
Storthes Hall Hospital, Huddersfield (MI) 11 beds
High Royds Hospital, Ilkley (MI) 16 beds
Stanley Royd Hospital, Wakefield (MI) 8 beds
Trent—91 Arnold Lodge, Towers Hospital, Leicester (MI) 45 beds—30 beds now open—opened July 1983.
A network of local intensive care facilities for the mentally ill and mentally impaired is being developed throughout the region to complement the RSU
East Anglian—36 Norvic Clinic, St. Andrews Hospital, Norwich (MI) 36 beds—opened May 1984
North West Thames—69 Three Bridges Unit, St. Bernards wing of Ealing Hospital, Ealing (MI) 40 beds—opened November 1986
North East Thames—74 Unit at Runwell Hospital, Wickford, near Southend (MI) 10 beds—opened September 1983. Four additional beds opened October 1988 Friern Hospital, New Southgate (MI) 10 beds—operational August 1986
Proposed
Friern Hospital, Southgate (MI) 32 beds Homerton Hospital (MI) 30 beds. (Scheme starts 1990–91) Hackney Hospital (MI) 12 beds: available from December 1987
South East Thames—72 Bethlem Royal Hospital1 (MI) 30 beds—opened August 1985 Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon (MI) 15 beds—opened October 1984 Oakwood Hospital, Maidstone (MI) 15 beds—opened May 1985 Bexley Hospital (MI) 15 beds—opened June 1985 Hellingly Hospital, Hailsham (MI) 15 beds—opened June 1986
South West Thames—58 A 15 bed unit in the London area is in the planning stage. The unit will function in association with eight district and supra-district intensive care units (MI) throughout the region. The MH strategy is under review
Wessex—53 Ravenswood House, Knowle Hospital, Fareham (MI) 31 beds—opened January 1985
Oxford—44 Sycamores Unit, Borocourt Hospital (MH) 14 beds—opened June 1987 Nine places opened in July 1987. The remaining five places opened in a phased manner in late 1988, early 1989
Marlborough House, Milton Keynes (MI) 12 beds To open December 1988 with six, increase to 12 over the next few months
Rotherfield Unit, Fair Mile Hospital, Wallingford (MI)—14 beds, due to be completed over the next few months To open 10 April 1989 with four patients initially
South Western—63 Butler Clinic, Langdon Hospital, Dawlish (MH) 30 beds—opened June 1983 Interim unit of 10 places is proposed for Glenside Hospital pending the opening of the Fromeside Clinic
Fromeside Clinic, Glenside Hospital, Bristol (MI)—30 beds
West Midlands—104 Reaside Clinic, Rubery Hill Hospital, Birmingham (MI) 100 beds—40 beds opened October 1987; to be increased to 70 in April 1989; to 84 in April 1990; to 100 in April 1991 Coleshill Hall Hospital, Birmingham (MH) eight beds
Mersey—50 Scott Clinic, Rainhill Hospital, Prescott, Liverpool (MI) 50 beds—opened August 1983

All these units are able to take mentally disturbed prisoners where it is clinically appropriate.

Region and regional bed target (basis: 20 per million population) Permanent RSU(S) completed under construction/proposed Declared interim secure facilities
North Western—82 Gardiner Unit (Adolescent) Prestwich Hospital, Manchester (MI) 20 beds—opened January 1985 Langdale Unit Whittingham Hospital, Preston (MI) 24 beds. The future of the Langdale Unit will need to be considered as part of the contraction of Whittingham Hospital
Edenfield Centre (Adult) Prestwich Hospital, Manchester (MI) 88 beds—opened July 1986 (66 beds open only)
1 The question of the closure of some of these beds is under consideration.

Forward to