HL Deb 12 January 1998 vol 584 cc119-20WA
Lord Rowallan

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to amalgamate the health and social services budgets for the provision of the mentally ill in light of the seven reports over 30 years that have all concluded this would provide for a more efficient service for the mentally ill.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

We are keen to develop closer working between health and social services. The National Health Service White Paper, ANew NHS, introduces a number of steps to promote closer working, including plans to strengthen the duty of partnership between all parts of the NHS and social services, new provision for local authority chief executives to participate in health authority meetings, and a requirement that joint investment plans be produced from 1999–2000 for continuing community care, including mental health.

We will consult during 1998 on further ways of achieving closer local working relationships, including joint operation and planning of budgets.

Lord Rowallan

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the total NHS expenditure on private in-patient care for NHS psychiatric patients requiring in-patient psychiatric care but for whom there are no beds available.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

As the grounds for referral of a patient to a private in-patient facility are not simply based on the availability or otherwise of a National Health Service bed. it is not possible to say what the expenditure might be in the circumstances outlined.

Lord Rowallan

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much money is being released from community care funds following the death of former long-stay patients placed in the community; and whether the money has been directed towards the care of new long-term patients.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

The net reduction in the 1997–98 Old Long Stay (OLS) special allocation, which funds the care in England of patients with mental illness admitted to hospital before 1 January 1971 and patients with learning disabilities admitted before 1 January 1970, was £20 million. Patient deaths is one of the factors in this net reduction but this element is not separately identified in the information held centrally.

1997–98 general allocations to health authorities were enhanced by this £20 million to ensure that spending on mental health and people with learning difficulties could be maintained. For 1998–99 no reductions were made in the OLS special allocation to health authorities.