§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps his Department is taking to monitor and evaluate the continuing care of patients discharged from psychiatric hospital into the community, further to paragraph 1.29 of "Community Care into the Next Decade and Beyond";
(2) what steps he is taking to monitor and evaluate the continuing care of mentally ill people resident in the community.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 places a duty on local authorities and health boards jointly to prepare and publish, by 1 April 1992, in consultation with health boards, community care plans. We intend to monitor carefully the implementation of these plans, including the care of people with mental health problems discharged from psychiatric hospitals and resident in the community. The plans should define objectives and targets and include procedures for monitoring the achievement of effective community care.
Health boards will shortly be consulted on draft guidance on the introduction of care programmes for people with a mental illness. The main purpose of care programmes is to ensure that no person who has been treated for long-term mental illness is discharged from hospital without proper arrangements being made for his 437W or her continuing care in the community. It will be for health boards and local authorities to satisfy themselves that there are relevant community-based health and social work services to allow each discharged person to live satisfactorily in the community.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each health board(a) the number of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals and (b) the number of readmissions to psychiatric hospitals, for the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information requested is given in the table:
Mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units Area of residence All discharges Re-admissions 1987 Argyll and Clyde 2,569 1,533 Ayrshire and Arran 1,629 860 Borders 455 273 Dumfries and Galloway 1,075 840 Fife 1,796 1,028 Forth Valley 1,237 773 Grampian 2,453 1,549 Greater Glasgow 6,245 3,858 Highlands 1,203 800 Lanarkshire 2,437 1,388 Lothian 4,270 2,682 Orkney 36 12 Shetland 58 20 Tayside 2,208 1,309 Western Isles 78 41 Others 644 375 All Areas 28,393 17,341 1988 Argyll and Clyde 2,711 1,596 Ayrshire and Arran 1,948 1,053 Borders 503 269 Dumfries and Galloway 1,020 826 Fife 1,819 992 Forth Valley 1,243 752 Grampian 2,481 1,430 Greater Glasgow 6,617 3,818 Highland 1,086 686 Lanarkshire 2,461 1,434 Lothian 4,357 2,812 Orkney 37 17 Shetland 42 25 Tayside 2,336 1,365 Western Isles 85 47 Others 661 392 All Areas 29,407 17,514 1989 Argyll and Clyde 2,702 1,600 Ayrshire and Arran 2,083 1,159 Borders 492 337 Dumfries and Galloway 1,016 794 Fife 1,692 1,049 Forth Valley 1,262 811 Grampian 2,513 1,461 Greater Glasgow 6,461 3,879 Highland 954 632 Lanarkshire 2,372 1,398 Lothian 4,664 3,047 Orkney 38 17 Shetland 55 34 Tayside 2,367 1,425 Western Isles 97 52 Others 719 415 All Areas 29,487 18,110