§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the planned capital expenditure at Carstairs state hospital for the next five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythApproval has been given for the construction of a new kitchen at the state hospital at a cost currently estimated at £1.54 million. The building work on this is expected to take about two years to complete. In 297W addition, the Government have agreed to the construction of two new 25–bed single storey wards at the hospital. The cost of these is presently estimated at 0.06 million with estimated completion in 1993.
§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints have been recorded by patients alleging violence by nursing staff; how many complaints have been recorded by nursing staff alleging violence by patients; and how many nursing staff have left Carstairs state hospital in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information is as follows:
Complaints of violence Number of nursing staff leaving Year By patients By staff 1979 1 42 14.0 1980 2 26 19.5 1981 1 52 25.0 1982 1 41 17.0 1983 1 47 16.0 1984 3 54 11.0 1985 5 51 17.0 1986 5 71 15.0 1987 1 122 20.0 1988 2 68 32.0 1989 7 83 35.0 The figures given for complaints by staff cover all incidents involving injury or possible injury. Not all proceed to a formal complaint. The increase since 1987 in part reflects a change in recording procedure.
§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of patients in Carstairs state hospital; and what percentage of patients are released each year.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAs at 11 July 1990 there were 227 patients in the state hospital. The numbers discharged each year varies depending on the clinical condition of individual patients. During 1989 approximately 30 per cent. of the patients were discharged, as follows:
Percentage of total patients as at 1 January 1989 Transferred to NHS hospital 13 Returned to penal establishment 11 Complete discharge 1.5 Conditional discharge 1.5 Leave of absence 3
§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursing staff employed at Carstairs state hospital are directly involved in patient care.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThere are at present 306 nursing staff at the state hospital, of whom 304 are directly involved in patient care; the remaining two are nurse tutors.
§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the numbers of mentally ill patients confined to Carstairs state hospital by the Scottish courts each year since 1979.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythIt is not possible to provide separate figures for mentally ill as distinct from mentally handicapped patients. The following figures relate to all admissions from the courts:
Year Number of patients 1979 14 1980 17 1981 14 1982 13 1983 21 1984 17 1985 16 1986 19 1987 22 1988 24 1989 29