Vol. 531 No. 4
156 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself that treatment, care and accommodation available to psychiatric patients is in accordance with recognised best practice; if public patients have ready access to all such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6231/01]
In 1984 the Government published, Planning for the Future, the report of a study group set up to examine our psychiatric services. The report recommended that psychiatric care should be primarily community oriented and that there should be a shift away from the psychiatric hospital being the focal point of the service. Successive Governments have supported this policy and the shift in mental health care from an institutional to a community based setting has resulted in many improvements.
The report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals for the year ending 31 December 1999 acknowledged the progress that has been made in the provision of acute units in general hospitals, community mental health centres, day hospitals and community residential facilities. However, reference was also made to the need for progress to accelerate. In this connection I assure the Deputy that I intend to facilitate further significant development of the services under the national development plan.
Approximately £150 million capital is being provided over the lifetime of the NDP for the development of the mental health services. A significant part of this funding will go towards general hospitals as a replacement of services previously provided in psychiatric hospitals. At the end of the period of the NDP, it is the intention to have the programme of acute psychiatric units completed which will mean that acute admissions to the old psychiatric hospitals will no longer occur. The plan will also provide for more community facilities such as mental health centres and community residences.
