Defence Mental Health Services (Hansard, 2 December 2003)

§ Lord Bach

As part of our strategy to modernise and improve defence mental health services, we can announce today that the Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract to the Priory Group for the provision of in-patient psychiatric services. This is the first time that we have awarded a mental healthcare contract to an independent service provider, although individual service patients have been referred to the Priory on a case-by-case basis when their condition was outside the treatment offered at the Duchess of Kent's Psychiatric Hospital (DKPH). Service patients can be admitted to selected Priory Group facilities from 8 December. The full transfer of in-patient care from the DKPH to the Priory Group will occur from 1 April 2004. This is in line with an Answer given in another place by my honourable friend the24WA Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence on 16 October (Official Report, Col. 324W) that the DKPH is expected to close by 31 March 2004 when alternative facilities are in place.

The Priory Group can provide in-patient care locally. The awarding of this contract should be seen as part of our wider strategy to improve healthcare for service patients by reconfiguring mental health services to be community focused with the emphasis on local provision, as recommended in the medical quinquennial review. It also permits Defence Medical Service mental health staff to work within their local service community, which is more closely aligned with their operational role.