§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff vacancies there are in the mental health sector of the NHS(a) nationally and (b) in each region. [10527]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is shown in the tables. Staff working in the Mental Health Sector are collected for the following disciplines:
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Table 2: Vacancies in NHS trusts by region: three month vacancy rates1 Whole-time equivalents England2 Northern & Yorkshire Trent West Midlands North West Eastern London South East South West Specific consultant specialties3 Forensic psychiatry 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4— General psychiatry 130 20 10 20 30 10 30 30 0 Learning disabilities 30 10 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 Old age psychiatry 30 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 0 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff Community learning disabilities 60 0 0 110 0 0 10 30 0 Other learning disabilities 180 40 10 20 10 10 10 50 20 Community psychiatry 280 20 10 10 20 0 150 60 0 Other psychiatry 1,040 130 40 60 80 50 380 220 50 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff Clinical psychology 190 30 10 20 10 10 70 30 10 Psychotherapy 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents) 2 England totals include staff from Special health authorities 3 There are two other specialties (Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy) that were not separately identified in the vacancy survey and are therefore not included here, but are in the total consultant figures 4 Figures based on less than 10 staff in post Notes:
Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10
Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding
Source:
Departmental of Health Vacancies Survey 2001
Table 3: Department of Health workforce census: staff in post in NHS trusts by region Whole-time equivalents England1 Northern & Yorkshire Trent West Midlands North West Eastern London South East South West Specific consultant specialties2 Forensic psychiatry 150 10 10 10 10 10 40 10 0 General psychiatry 1,490 170 140 130 180 110 380 230 150 Learning disabilities 170 30 10 20 20 30 20 20 10 Old age psychiatry 300 60 30 30 40 30 40 50 20 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff Community learning disabilities 3,340 430 250 590 490 510 310 630 140 Other learning disabilities 5,060 810 660 510 760 610 220 1,010 470 Community psychiatry 10,190 1,320 1,000 1,180 1,230 980 1,730 1,720 1,030 Other psychiatry 25,610 3,280 2,520 2,510 3,690 2,220 4,490 3,360 2,240 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff Clinical psychology 4,050 510 310 500 490 270 920 600 390 Psychotherapy 410 20 30 20 30 30 200 50 30 1 England totals include staff from special health authorities 2 There are two other specialities (Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy) that were not separately identified Notes:
1. Whole-time equivalents are rounded to the nearest 10
2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding
3. Rates percentages can not be calculated from these figures
Sources:
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2000
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 2000
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women-only mental health day centres(a) have been established and (b) are planned to be established (i) in the current financial year, (ii) in 2002–03 and (iii) in 2003–04. [11529]
§ Jacqui Smith:[holding answer 31 October 2001]: A target has been set to ensure that women-only mental health day centres are in place in every health authority by 2004. Currently the Department knows of 88 women-only community day centres and services being run by the 818W voluntary sector and supported, in part, by statutory sector funding. A considerable amount of development work is under way to further strengthen the delivery of high quality mental health services for women including the production of a national women's mental health strategy in 2002. The strategy document will describe the service specification for the provision of women-only mental health day centres and services, against which we will measure progress to ensure that this target is achieved by 2004.
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§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the work of the Anam Cara mental health crisis house in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement on the efficacy of such alternatives to hospital care. [11532]
§ Jacqui Smith:[holding answer 31 October 2001]: The full report on the evaluation of services at the Anam Cara mental health crisis house is not due to be published until the new year. However, I understand that initial reports are very favourable.
For many people crisis houses such as Anam Cara can provide an appropriate alternative to hospital and help to meet the particular needs of women and of ethnic minority communities, especially where additional support can be provided. They can complement the 335 crisis resolution teams that we will be developing across the country over the next three years as we deliver the mental health commitments we set out in the NHS plan.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out of area crisis mental health admissions which are not clinically indicated have taken place in each month of 2001 to date. [11528]
§ Jacqui Smith:[holding answer 31 October 2001]: The information requested is not available centrally.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what local reviews of mental health services(a) have so far taken place and (b) are proposed in the current financial year. [11526]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 31 October 2001]: The Department has co-ordinated two reviews of mental health services since the publication of the mental health National Service Framework in 1999. They have been co-ordinated through the local implementation teams (LITs).
In this financial year, the Department announced via the "Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide" that LITs should co-ordinate a comprehensive review of mental health services as part of the planning process required for implementation of the NHS Plan targets and mental health NSF targets. This process was aligned with the local modernisation reviews, which health authorities were required to co-ordinate as part of the implementation of all NHS Plan targets.