§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research or monitoring has been undertaken about the implementation of section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983, relating to aftercare for certain detained patients.
§ Mr. BowisThe implementation of section 117 is monitored by the Mental Health Act Commission on its visits to hospitals and at meetings with health authorities and social services departments. In its fifth biennial report, published on 10 December, the commission notes that authorities are linking section 117 arrangements to the care programme approach. Copies of the report are available in the Library.
Section 117 requires health and local authorities to provide aftercare for patients who have been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. The care programme approach, which we introduced in April 1991, requires that all patients about to be discharged after in-patient treatment for a mental illness, whether or not 1013W they have been detained, should be systematically assessed in respect of their health and social care needs, have an individual care programme and be allocated a named key worker. For those patients who have been detained under the Act, the requirements of section 117 will be met by proper implementation of the care programme approach.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the outcome of the comprehensive autumn round of monitoring by regional health authorities and the social services inspectorate of community care for the mentally ill.
§ Mr. BowisThe monitoring suggested that authorities had made generally good progress in putting in place the basic structures and systems required. The national monitoring round did not look at services for specific client groups, but services for people with a mental illness under new arrangements are being examined as part of one of a range of special studies currently being carried out by the social services inspectorate and national health service management executive in a sample of authorities.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she proposes to take to respond to the criticisms of psychiatric services made in the recently published report of the Mental Health Act Commission; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. BowisMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making a full response to the commission's report. This will be laid before Parliament.