Vol. 439 No. 6
133 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health the amount of money being held by health boards on behalf of elderly psychiatric patients who are in long term care; and whether the health boards pay interest on moneys held for the patients.
The amount of money being held in trust by seven health boards for long-stay psychiatric patients is approximately £4.2 million. It is not possible to provide information on the proportion of this total which is held on behalf of elderly psychiatric patients.
Moneys so held by health boards remain the property of the patient and are kept in accounts separate to those of the boards. These accounts are subject to annual independent audit. Interest on moneys help pay costs incurred by the boards in administering the accounts and to provide certain patient comforts.
In the case of the North-Western Health Board, all psychiatric patients in long term care are facilitated in opening individual accounts. Information on amounts held in these accounts is a matter for the patients concerned.
