Vol. 419 No. 6
118 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will outline his intentions for the development of special hospital services through the various health boards with particular reference as to whether (a) long stay residential care and (b) the upkeep and maintenance of institutions is central to the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The policy of my Department is to meet the needs of the dependent elderly people with mental handicap and the mentally ill through community-based services. It is accepted, however, that there will always be a proportion of patients for whom long-stay residential care is essential, for this reason, health boards will continue to provide an adequate supply of long-stay accommodation and to maintain this accommodation to an acceptable standard.
