§ 30. Dr. NaysmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on developments in the treatment of mental health patients in the Avon health authority area. [26390]
§ Ms BlearsAvon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust have plans in place to progress towards the achievement of the targets set out in the mental health national service framework. The trust is working closely with other local NHS bodies to finalise the outline business case for the £68 million scheme for the Modernisation of mental health services in Avon.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the £56 million allocated for high security places for dangerous and severe personality disorder persons in the NHS and for hostel places has so far been spent; and how many NHS places and hostel places have been provided. [10528]
§ Jacqui SmithNew dangerous and severe personality disorder (DSPD) units at Rampton and Broadmoor will deliver 140 places for dangerous and severe personality disorder persons by 2004. These are complex schemes, involving major innovations both in design, and in the approach to service delivery.
Work has concentrated initially on the Rampton site. To date, there has been capital expenditure of £412,000 at Rampton with a projected spend of £500,000 by year end. This is being committed to meet the costs of early design work, design team fees, and to refurbish accommodation for the DSPD team in Rampton. Work will commence on site in March 2002, with completion due in June 2003, and the expenditure of capital has been profiled to achieve this output. The unit is planned to open in the autumn of 2003. Work on the unit at Broadmoor is at an earlier stage of development, and no capital has been committed. However, it is on target to open in 2004.
Revenue spend on the Rampton and Broadmoor developments is projected to be £0.35 million this year. This will meet staff costs. At Rampton these costs include the salaries for the project director, consultant psychiatrist, nurse manager, consultant psychologist, business manager, security adviser and secretarial staff. There are also running costs for the DSPD team accommodation, and the costs of a one off study tour of Holland and Germany. At Broadmoor these costs include salaries for the project director and consultant psychiatrist.
We have decided that money originally earmarked for community hostel places should be allocated to a range of pilot provision within medium secure units and community settings, in order to provide step down care from high security.
Two units will open in early 2003 with a total of 23 beds for offenders with severe personality disorder, and community teams will be established in three locations to deliver care and treatment to this client group in community settings from 2002–03. The capital allocation of £3.5 million for these schemes will be committed over 2002–03.
Work on both sites is proceeding more slowly than originally anticipated in order to ensure that robust local dialogue takes place in advance of any application for planning permission. It is now estimated that about 747W £50,000 will be committed this year. This will meet the cost of training events for the new clinical teams, together with travel expenses, plus commissioning a study to look at the development of staff competencies and staff training needs in working with people with DSPD in forensic settings.
§ Ms Dari TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made in improving the treatment of mental health patients. [26382]
§ Jacqui SmithAll of the targets set to be achieved by this date in the National Service Framework for Mental Health have been met. These include almost 500 additional secure beds; over 320 24-hour staffed beds; 170 assertive outreach teams; access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for all those with complex mental health problems; investment to improve the physical environments in psychiatric wards; and guidance issued to ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of mental health patients.