§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on a negative impact of the four-hour target for total time in accident and emergency on the care of patients with mental health difficulties who present to accident and emergency departments; and if he will make a statement. [159736]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonPatients with mental health difficulties benefit along with other patients from the reduction in delay in assessment and treatment the four-hour target requires. Concerns were expressed last year by clinicians about the minority of patients who clinically need more than four hours in accident and emergency (A&E). In response to this the final December 2004 target was adjusted at the end of 2003 to a minimum operating standard of 98 per cent. This gives all trusts up to 2 per cent. headroom to manage clinical exceptions and other patients still in A&E after four hours. The number of patients with mental health difficulties who clinically need more than four hours in A&E is very small.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were resident in mental hospitals or mental institutions in each of the last five years. [163014]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonInformation on the numbers of patients resident in national health service hospitals in England under the care of a mental illness or learning disabilities consultant from 31 March 1998 to 2002 is shown in the table.
198W
Mental illness Learning disabilities 1998 31,734 8,413 1999 30,801 7,102 2000 29,891 6,030 2001 31,560 6,507 2002 31,344 5,362 Source: NHS Facilities
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were outpatients affiliated to a mental hospital or mental institution in each of the last five years. [163015]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonInformation is not available in the form requested.
Between 2001 and 2002 there was an increase of over 50,000 in numbers of patients seen by community mental health teams and increases of 1,000 and nearly 3,000 inpatients seen by crisis resolution and assertive outreach teams.
The number of attendances at consultant led outpatient National Health Service clinics for Mental Illness sector is provided in table 1. Taken alone, these figures do not reflect accurately the volume of provision as mental health services are provided in a number of alternative ways as well as through traditional outpatient appointments. Table 2 provides the currently available information on the number of people receiving services from assertive outreach, crisis resolution, and early intervention teams, which provide mental health services to people with mental health problems in the community.
Table 1 Consultant outpatient attendances: Mental Illness sector, England Year Quarter Sector First attendances
seen
Subsequent attendances
seen
Total attendances
seen
1998–99 1— 287,411 1,813,011 2,100,422 1999–2000 1— 281,578 1,790,408 2.071,986 2000–01 1— 284,884 1,760,399 2,045,283 2001–02 1— 272,599 1,684,879 1,957,478 2002–03 1— 276,442 1,736,263 2,012,705 2003–04 1 1— 61,924 381,459 443,383 2003–04 2 1— 66,997 397,497 464,494 2003–04 3 1— 64,975 416,155 481,130 1Mental illness Source: Department of Health dataset KHO9 (Annual Data) Department of Health dataset QMOP (Quarterly Data) 199W
Table 2 Number of people receiving services from functionalised community teams, England
Snapshot at Q3 2003–04
Q1–Q3 2003–04
Assertive outreach 11,493 Crisis resolution — 30,650 Early intervention 1,226 — Source: Local Delivery Plan Returns
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health trusts have fully established women-only day care facilities. [163044]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe information requested is not centrally available.
"Following Shifting the Balance of Power", strategic health authorities (SHAs) carry responsibility for the development of local delivery plans that show how proposals for mental health modernisation will be taken forward.
Information to guide local services on applicable service models is available in guidance published by the Department of Health. Women's mental health: into the mainstream was made available to services in September 2002. A copy is available in the Library.
In addition, a programme of work led by the National Institute for Mental Health in England focuses on the development of services for women, including day care provision.
SHAs carry responsibility for the direct management of trust performance, taking account of national guidance and local population needs and resources. Our annual national assessment of local services' self-assessment of development shows that progress is being made but information is not captured centrally on a trust by trust basis.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many episodes of mental health treatment for minors took place in each of the last five years. [163058]
§ Dr. LadymanInformation is not available in the form requested.
A survey of the mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain, carried out in 1999 by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, Scottish National Executive and National Assembly for Wales, showed that about 10 per cent. of children aged five to 15 in Great Britain had a mental disorder in that year, of whom half had seen someone from the educational services, about a quarter had used the specialist health care services and a fifth had contact with the social services.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) consultant psychiatrists, (b) mental health nurses and (c) primary care mental health workers (i) were recruited by and (ii) left the NHS in (a) 2003–04 and (b) in each of the previous five years. [163684]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department's workforce census, which takes place each September, does not collect the number of joiners and leavers in the national health service.
The number of consultants in the psychiatry group and the number of all specified mental health nurses in post since 1998 is shown in the table. Separate information is not collected on the number of primary care mental health workers employed in the NHS.
200W
Consultants within the psychiatry group specialty and all specified mental health nurses as at 30 September each specified year
Headcount consultants in the psychiatry group
All specified mental health nurses1
1998 2,627 48,877 1999 2,808 48,922 2000 2,904 49026 2001 2,959 51,315 2002 2,979 52,204 2003 3,229 53,678 1Includes nurses employed in learning disabilities, community learning disabilities, psychiatry and community psychiatry areas of work. Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census Department of Health non-medical workforce census
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) consultant psychiatrists, (b) mental health nurses and (c) primary care mental health workers are employed by the NHS; and how many of these work (i) part-time and (ii) full-time. [163685]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation on the number of consultants in the psychiatry group and qualified nurses working in the mental health areas of work is shown in the tables. Separate information is not collected on the number of primary care mental health workers employed in the national health service.
Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) staff in England by contract group as at 30 September
2003
Headcount Consultants in the psychiatry group Total 3,229 Whole-time 2,321 Maximum part-time 66 Part-time 643 Honorary 199
NHS hospital and community health services: qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff by specified area of work and
nature of contract, in England as at 30 September 2003
Headcount All specified mental health nurses1 Total 53,678 Full-time 39,497 Part-time 8,889 Unknown 5,292 1Includes nurses employed in learning disabilities, community learning disabilities, psychiatry and community psychiatry areas of work. Source: Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce census Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce census