§ Mr. Todd:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what audit he has made of the compliance of mental health services trusts with their obligations (a) to produce integrated care plans for service users with severe mental illness, (b) to ensure that service users have a written care plan and (c) to establish assertive outreach for those at risk of losing contact with services. [177010]
§ Ms Rosie Winterton:The national service framework for mental health states that all service users on the care programme approach should have a copy of their written care plan.
Data collected in 2002–03 to monitor this model of best practice indicated that 77 per cent. of patients on enhanced care programme approach had a copy of their written care plan—104,458 out of 135,699 nationally.Data for 2003–04 has not yet been fully validated.
Mental health trusts are also assessed by the Healthcare Commission using a performance indicator on the implementation of comprehensive care programme approach systems and another one on the numbers of people on enhanced care programme approach with their own care plans.
688WThe Department monitors trusts' performance with establishing assertive outreach teams through local delivery plan returns which show 273 teams providing assertive outreach services to 12,469 people in the fourth quarter of 2003–04.