HC Deb 01 November 2001 vol 373 cc816-9W
Mr. Heald

To 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 Smith

The information requested is shown in the tables. Staff working in the Mental Health Sector are collected for the following disciplines:

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. Heald

To 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 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.

Mr. Heald

To 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. Heald

To 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. Heald

To 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.