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Mental Health

Volume 457: debated on Wednesday 7 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 625W, on mental health, how many (a) psychologists, (b) psychiatrists, (c) mental health nurses and (d) occupational therapists each service employed; and what assessment he has made of how many are required in each year since 1997. (119213)

The following tables illustrate the requirement and trained strength figures of uniformed regular psychiatrists and mental health nurses in each service for each year since 1998, all of whom were or are uniformed. Further to the statement on 9 February 2006, Official Report, column 1402W, and as explained to the hon. Member in a follow-up letter, the figures for 1997 are unavailable.

In the following tables the figures are for 1 April in that year.

As stated on 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 25W, the DMS uniformed regular requirement figures have been reviewed and the new manning requirements for 2007 for all cadres will be formally announced in the near future.

RN psychiatrists

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

3

n/a

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

Manning

1

n/a

1

1

1

2

1

1

2

RN mental health nurses

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

n/a

n/a

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

Manning

10

n/a

13

10

10

18

29

24

21

Army psychiatrists

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

11

n/a

25

25

25

17

15

17

15

Manning

8

n/a

8

6

6

6

5

7

6

Army mental health nurses

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

n/a

n/a

76

76

76

50

48

61

53

Manning

42

n/a

36

38

41

39

42

43

43

RAF psychiatrists

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

4

n/a

7

8

8

8

9

9

9

Manning

4

n/a

5

4

3

3

4

4

5

RAF mental health nurses

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Requirement

n/a

n/a

30

27

27

38

38

38

38

Manning

24

n/a

26

31

29

30

31

33

33

n/a = Indicates that it was not possible to determine the figure from the recovered archived files.

Source:

DMSD

Mental health occupational therapists are now not employed by the MOD. Our current community-based mental health provision is occupationally orientated and aims to manage patients in their work/home environment. This is done by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists, mental health nurses with access to both clinical psychologists and mental health social workers. The employment of specific occupational therapists is no longer necessary.

The MOD employed mental health occupational therapists up until 2003 at the Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital. The mental health occupational therapists that were employed were civilian. The records for the numbers of mental health occupational therapists could not be recovered without disproportionate effort.

The MOD also employs civilian clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health nurses.