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Mental Illness Hospitals

Volume 951: debated on Tuesday 13 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much accommodation in mental illness hospitals has not been commissioned since it was erected; and what is its location.

19 additional beds in St. Nicholas Hospital, Great Yarmouth, remain to be commissioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many mental illness hospitals still have less than one consultant per 220 in-patients.

According to provisional information available for the position in England at September 1976, this ratio was not met in six mental illness hospitals with 200 or more beds and in 21 smaller hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, following the drawing up of the regional health authorities' strategic plans, any region is planning the closure of a mental handicap hospital or mental illness hospital, respectively, with more than 500 beds within (a) the next five years or (b) the next 10 years.

Subject to the outcome of negotiations on the sale of the land for chalk extraction, the South East Thames Regional Health Authority is planning to close Darenth Park Hospital by December 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current cost per in-patient week in a mental illness hospital.

For the year ended 31st March 1977, the latest for which costing returns have been received, the average

estimates are available is as follows:

cost per in-patient week in mental illness hospitals in England has been provisionally assessed at £81. This figure is subject to revision when the calculations for 1976–77 have been finalised.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many mental illness hospitals have not reached the patient-staff ratio of one nurse to three in-patients.

In England at 30th September 1976, the latest date for which information is available, all mental illness hospitals and units with 200 or more beds had a staff-patient ratio of at least one nurse to three in-patients but six smaller hospitals and units had a lower ratio. This information is provisional. Particulars covering the larger hospitals are published each year in the Department of Health and Social Security Statistical and Research Report Series.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current cost per in-patient week in a mental handicap hospital.

For the year ended 31st March 1977, the latest for which costing returns have been received, the average cost per in-patient week in mental handicap hospitals in England has been provisionally assessed at £70. This figure is subject to revision when the calculations for 1976–77 have been finalised.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the additional funds allocated to the National Health Service by the Chancellor in his 1978 Budget will be directed to the improvement of mental hospitals.

About one-third of the additional money will go towards improvements in mental and geriatric hospitals and units.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current weekly cost per resident in a local authority hostel for the adult mentally ill.

The estimated average weekly cost in 1977–78 in England was £41·60. This figure, which excludes capital charges and central administrative costs, is the latest available, and is derived from the Social Services Statistics Estimates for that year, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a copy of which is in the Library.