Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
811. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of admissions under the Mental Health Acts that had their status regraded from voluntary to involuntary; and the number of admissions that had their status regraded from involuntary to voluntary for each of the years 2012 to 2016 to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34367/17]
View answer812. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the numbers of persons admitted involuntarily for each of the years 2012 to 2016 and to date in 2017, that did not have a tribunal review of their detention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34368/17]
View answer813. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of admission orders revoked under the Mental Health Acts before a mental health tribunal was held for each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34369/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 811 to 813, inclusive, together.
Figures sought by the Deputy for the years 2012 to 2017 are set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Numbers regraded from Voluntary to Involuntary Status |
Number of Admissions and Renewal Orders revoked before Mental Health Tribunal is held |
Number of Admissions and Renewal orders revoked at Mental Health Tribunal |
|
2012 |
567 |
1530 |
142 |
|
2013 |
541 |
1457 |
171 |
|
2014 |
507 |
1514 |
149 |
|
2015 |
608 |
1661 |
170 |
|
2016 |
606 |
1648 |
203 |
|
2017 |
204* |
689* |
69* |
* Figures to end May 2017
Under the 2001 Act, a person who is involuntarily admitted to an approved centre has their admission or renewal order independently reviewed by a mental health tribunal within 21 days. This includes patients who were regraded from a voluntary patient to an involuntary patient. Every tribunal is made up of a chairperson, a consultant psychiatrist and a lay-person and adults receive free legal representation.
It is important to emphasise that Section 28 of the Mental Health Act 2001 obliges the consultant psychiatrist responsible for the patient to revoke an order where they become of the opinion that the patient is no longer suffering from a mental disorder as defined in the Act. However, even if an order is revoked before a Mental Health Tribunal, the patient is written to and offered a hearing and the patient's legal representative will advise them in relation to this. The Mental Health Commission has noted an increase in the uptake of Section 28 hearings in 2017, however, statistics on same have not yet been collated. I will ask the Mental Health Commission to collate these figures and I will pass them on to the Deputy when they are provided to me.
