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Hammersmith Bridge: Closure
Lord Brabazon of Tara asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Traffic Director for London has studied the effect of the closure of Hammersmith
- Bridge on shops and small businesses in Barnes and on daily commuter parking in the area immediately to the south of the bridge; and whether they will ask the Traffic Director to prepare and publish a report into the effects of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to traffic.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): The Traffic Director's office has not undertaken a study into the effects of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge on shops, small businesses or on daily commuter parking. The collection of information on these matters is for the local authorities concerned and we therefore do not propose to ask the Traffic Director to undertake such a study or prepare a report.
Mental Health: Services
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to the statement by Professor Sir David Goldberg of the Institute of Psychiatry that only Tehran and Bangladore, India, have fewer psychiatrists per 100,000 people than London.
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): While it is not straightforward to draw conclusions about the delivery of health services in the United Kingdom as compared to other countries (as the configuration of services may differ widely), we have already taken steps to understand and address the particular problems of mental health services in London.
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to the league table compiled by Professor Sir David Goldberg of the Institute of Psychiatry, which suggests that London occupies the lowest place amongst industrialised cities in its care for the mentally ill by virtue of having fewer hospital beds, fewer psychiatrists and a lower amount of cash available for treatment.
Baroness Jay of Paddington: London does face significant and complex mental health problems and that is why all London health authorities have received real terms increases in their allocations for 1997-98 and will also receive real terms increases for 1998-99. Targeted mental health funds amounting to £16 million through the Mental Health Challenge Fund, the Emergency Pressures Fund and the mentally Disordered Offenders Strategic Assistance Fund have also been received by London health authorities.
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many psychiatrists there are in the United Kingdom dealing with the mentally-ill full time.
Baroness Jay of Paddington: There were 7,520 psychiatrists in Great Britain on 30 September 1996 (the whole time equivalent figure was 6,130), of whom 5,130 worked full time.
- Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
- Information for Northern Ireland will not be available until December.
- Source: the Medical and Dental Workforce Census 30 September 1996.
- How many mentally-ill people there are; how many beds in secure places there are for them; and how many beds in hospitals or other insecure places there are, in each case specifying the figures for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Baroness Jay of Paddington: A survey conducted in Great Britain in 1993 established that about one in six adults between the ages of 16 and 64 suffered from a neurotic disorder in the week before interview and about four per 1,000 had suffered from a psychotic disorder in the previous 12 months. There was no significant difference in the rates for England, Scotland and Wales. Only a small proportion of mentally ill people will need in-patient or residential care. The following tables show the facilities available in England, Wales and Scotland.
| Number | |||
| Places in high security hospitals--31 March 1997(1) | 1,440 | ||
| Other NHS facilities: average daily available beds--1996/97 | |||
| Secure beds | 1,580 | ||
| Other beds (excluding NHS managed residential beds) | |||
| Adults | 19,910 | ||
| Elderly patients | 15,600 | ||
| Children | 540 | ||
| NHS managed residential beds | 1,160 | ||
| Places in private nursing homes and hospitals--March 1996 | |||
| Adults (including children) | 5,300 | ||
| Elderly patients | 22,140 | ||
| Places in staffed residential homes (excluding small homes)--March 1996 | |||
| Adults | 13,370 | ||
| Elderly mentally ill patients | 10,670 | ||
| Places in small registered homes--March 1996 | 1,910 | ||
(1) High security beds in England are also used for patients from Wales.
(2) High security beds in Scotland are also used for patients from Northern Ireland.
(3) Data on places for patients with mental health problems cannot be separately identified so figures on residents have been supplied instead.
The number of designated mentally ill people in Northern Ireland who had contact with Health and Social Services Trusts in 1995-96 (the latest year for which such figures are available) was 11,278. These figures exclude patients suffering from dementia, people
The average number of available beds in 1995-96 in wards open overnight for people in mental illness specialties (including child and adolescent psychiatry and old age psychiatry) was 2,045. It is not possible to provide an age breakdown of this figure. In addition, there were 557 occupied places in residential accommodation solely for mentally ill persons as at 31 March 1996. These figures also exclude those suffering from dementia.
Number
NHS facilities: average daily available beds--1996/97
Secure beds 33
Other beds--by specialty
Mental illness 1,227
Old age psychiatry 1,356
Child and adolescent psychiatry 33
Places in private nursing homes and hospitals--March 1996 2,194
Places in staffed residential homes--March 1996
Adults 727
Elderly mentally infirm patients 237
Number
High security beds--October 1997(2) 252
NHS facilities: average daily available beds--year ending 30 June 1997
Mental illness 4,264
Old age psychiatry 4,657
Child and adolescent psychiatry 77
Residents (all ages) with mental health problems in private nursing homes and hospitals--March 1996(3) 3,458
Places in staffed residential homes for mentally ill people-- March 1996 1,223
Age Number
0-15 191
16-24 7,038
65 and over 2,445
Age unknown 1,604
Total 11,278
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