Vol. 406 No. 3
72 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the proposals he has to provide an expanded psychiatric community care service having regard to (a) the number of long stay psychiatric patients being discharged into the community and (b) where it is evident the existing services are not capable of dealing with the situation.
In line with Government policy, as outlined in the report of the Study Group on the Development of the Psychiatric Services — Planning for the Future — a comprehensive community based, psychiatric service is being put in place at local level. Considerable progress has been made in developing community based services since the publication of Planning for the Future. At the end of 1989 there were 94 day hospitals and day centres with 2,345 places in existence as well as 285 hostels with 1,877 places established.
The Programme for Economic and Social Progress makes provision for the continued development, on a phased basis, of the range of community based psychiatric facilities recommended in Planning for the Future. Each health board has been asked to prepare plans for the implementation of the recommendations contained in that report.
