§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatric patients were resident in mental illness institutions operated by her Department in each year since292W the commencement of the Mental Health Act 1983, distinguishing between those compulsorily detained under the Act and those voluntarily admitted.
§ Mr. BowisThe available information is shown in the table.
The table provides the number of patients resident in mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units, and special hospitals at 31 December; number formally detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, and number treated informally, England, for the years 1983 to 1986, and the total number of residents under the mental illness specialty in NHS hospitals and units at 31 March for the years 1989 to 1992.
Year Residents:formally detained Treated informally Total 31 December 1983 6,216 104,194 110,410 1984 5,892 99,636 105,528 1985 6,423 94,738 101,161 1986 6,295 88,821 95,116 31 March 1989 n.a. n.a. 83,900 1990 n.a. n.a. 81,800 1991 n.a. n.a. 70,800 1992 n.a. n.a. 64,700 Data for 1987 and 1988 are not considered reliable; data for 1989 to 1992 cannot be identified separately.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps her Department is taking to monitor the impact of the NHS management executive letter TEL 93/2 on the time within which detained patients' appeals are heard and the ability of NHS trusts to convene early and effective hearings;
(2) when she intends to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Mental Health Act 1983 so as to correct the error identified in NHS management executive letter TEL 93/2;
(3) what training is available to non-executive directors of NHS trusts to equip them for their responsibilities towards patients and the public, with particular reference to hearings pertaining to patients' appeals.
Mr. BowlsThe Mental Health Act Commission keeps in touch with national health service trusts about the arrangements for hearing patients' appeals. We will consider carefully any proposals it makes.
We recognise the pressures placed on non-executive directors of NHS trusts as a result of the problem described in the NHS management executive's letter TEL 93/2. This can only be corrected by primary legislation and we shall be seeking the earliest opportunity to introduce it.
We are committed to ensuring that high-quality training is provided to chairmen and non-executive directors of trusts. A wide range of training and induction is available locally and nationally, and the NHS management executive will be making proposals this autumn for enhancing and improving the way in which training and support is provided. On the issue of managers' power to discharge detained patients, training and guidance are available from the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, in conjunction with the Mental Health Act Commission, and from the NHS Trust Federation. A copy of the NHS management executive's letter TEL 93/2 will be placed in the Library.
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§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times section 4 of the Mental Health Act 1983 has been used each year since the Act came into force.
§ Mr. BowisThe information is shown in the table.
The Mental Health Act 1983 came into force in September 1983. The table gives the number of admissions under section 4 and changes during the year from other sections and from other Acts to section 4 and data for that year have been analysed in terms of the 1983 Act.
Table provides data on the use of section 4 of the Mental Health Act 1983: covering admissions to national health service facilities, private nursing homes and special hospitals under this section, and changes in legal status of patients in national health service facilities from other sections or other Acts to section 4 in each of the years 1983 to 1989–90.
Year and source Mental Health Act 1983, section 4: Assesment in emergency 1983 Admissions1 5,640 Changes to2 N/a TOTAL 5,640 1984 Admissions1 3,622 Changes to2 N/a TOTAL 3,622 1985 Admissions1 3,464 Changes to2 N/a TOTAL 3,464 1986 Admissions1 2,786 Changes to2 N/a TOTAL 2,786 1987–88 Admissions1 2,196 Changes to2 288 TOTAL 2,484 1988–89 Admissions1 2,030 Changes to2 263 TOTAL 2,293 1989–90 Admissions1 1,868 Changes to2 236 TOTAL 2,104 1 Admissions to special hospitals relate to calendar years. 2 Patients in national health service facilities only (not available before 1987–88: changes to section 4 are mostly from informal status, with some from place of safety orders.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the national director of MIND will receive a full reply to the letter sent to her dated 11 May 1993.
§ Mr. BowisI met the national director of MIND informally earlier this month and am having a full meeting with her on 12 July when we shall be discussing a range of issues including matters raised in her letter.
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§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is provided for primary health care teams, social workers and carers in the field of mental illness; and what plans she has to improve that training.
§ Mr. BowisGuidance to health authorities and local authorities on developing human skills and resources for all mental health workers is contained in the "Mental Illness Key Area Handbook", a copy of which is available in the Library.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health where in her Department the responsibility for providing the resources for training programmes for health care workers and others concerned with mental illness in the community lies.
Mr. BowlsThe responsibility for providing resources for training programmes lies with health and local authorities from within their overall financial allocations.