asked the Minister for Health if he will state in relation to the years 1932 and 1952, respectively (a) the number of patients in district and auxiliary mental hospitals, (b) the total staff employed in such hospitals and (c) the number of persons on the medical staff and the nursing staff.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mental Hospitals.
The following is the information and the figures refer to the position on 31st December in each year:—
(a) Number of patients on registers:
|
1932 |
17,828 |
|
1952 |
19,067 |
(b) Total staff:
|
1932 |
2,751 |
|
1952 |
4,563 |
(c) Medical and nursing staff:
|
1932 |
2,086 |
|
1952 |
3,501 |
asked the Minister for Health if he will state in relation to the years 1932 and 1952, respectively (a) the number of district and auxiliary mental hospitals and (b) the total number of persons requiring mental treatment which could be accommodated in such hospitals or other public institutions.
The answer to the first part of the question is 17 district mental hospitals and one auxiliary mental hospital in 1932, and 18 district mental hospitals and one auxiliary mental hospital in 1952.
With regard to the second part of the question, a survey of district mental hospitals based on recognised standards of accommodation has not recently been carried out. There is overcrowding in some district mental hospitals but the accommodation available enables patients requiring treatment to be provided for, and no case has come under notice in which a patient entitled to mental hospital assistance under the Mental Treatment Act has been refused institutional treatment. Plans for the relief of overcrowding are included in the current hospital building programme.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state, in relation to the years 1932 and 1952, respectively, the total number of persons known to be suffering from mental disorders, mental deficiency or epilepsy, and requiring institutional treatment.
Precise information regarding the incidence of these conditions is not available. I can, however, give the Deputy certain information regarding the numbers receiving institutional treatment or for whom such treatment is available.
The total number of patients under institutional care for mental disorders, viz., 20,003 in 1932 and 20,453 in 1952, may be taken as representing approximately the number of patients who required institutional treatment in those years.
The special institutional accommodation available for mental defectives in 1932 and 1952 was 498 and 1,312, respectively. The demand for this type of accommodation is, however, in excess of the supply and the current hospital building programme provides for an increase in the number of beds to 3,000.
No special institutional accommodation was available in 1932 for cases of epilepsy not associated with other mental disability. In 1952 there were two such institutions with accommodation for 176 patients.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state the total expenditure on district and auxiliary mental hospitals in each of the years 1932 and 1952.
The figures of gross total expenditure for the years ended 31st March, 1932 and 1952 are, respectively, £813,120 and £2,993,022. The figure for 1952 is subject to audit.