§ Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted to mental illness and mental handicap hospitals under compulsory powers; how many were resident in such hospitals when detained, excluding special hospitals; and what percentage of total admissions and residents they constituted, at the latest available date.
§ Mr. FreemanThe most recent complete information is for 1986. During that year there were 237,311 admissions, of which 16,193 (6.8 per cent.) were formal admissions under compulsory powers, to National Health Service mental handicap and mental illness hospitals and units in England. It is estimated that 9,900 patients, already admitted as informal, were subsequently detained as formal patients and 7,600 formal patients had a change of legal status although remaining detained. On 31 December 1986 there was a total of 93,442 patients resident in these hospitals and units, of whom 4,602 (or 4.9 per cent.) were formally detained patients.