Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 16 Dec 1993

Vol. 437 No. 4

Written Answers. - Discharge of Psychiatric Patients.

Donal Carey

Ceist:

76 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to claims concerning the early release of patients from psychiatric hospitals to home-based community care without adequate follow-up and attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I am not aware of the early discharge of long stay patients from psychiatric hospitals to home-based community care without adequate follow up. I can assure the Deputy that before a long-stay patient is discharged from a psychiatric hospital, a thorough assessment is carried out by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that the patient is able to cope with community living. Patients also participate in rehabilitation programmes to ensure that the transition to community living is successful. Indeed, a recent survey carried out by the Eastern Health Board established that of the 450 long-stay patients who have been discharged to community day and residential care from St. Brendan's Hospital over the past few years, all were satisfactorily accounted for.

Patients admitted for acute short term psychiatric treatment are discharged as soon as they have recovered from the acute phase of their illness. I have been assured that in all cases adequate arrangements are made for them to continue their treatment under the care of their local GP or by receiving treatment as day patients of the psychiatric services. If necessary, their GP can refer them back for further treatment by the psychiatric services.

The number of community residences and training hostels for discharged long-stay patients has increased from just over 121 in 1984 to 324 in 1991. The number of places in these residences and hostels has also increased from just over 900 to 2,288 in the same period. Day hospitals and day centres for the mentally ill have also been established to cater for patients living in the community and to prevent admissions to hospitals which might otherwise take place. In 1984 there were 32 day hospitals and centres providing 800 places compared to 114 providing approximately 2,500 places at the end of 1991.

All community facilities are inspected by the Inspector of Mental Hospitals during his inspections of local psychiatric services and the inspector has commented that physical conditions in these facilities were generally of a very high standard. In most cases the inspector noted that accommodation in these facilities was substantially better than the accommodation which is available in psychiatric hospitals.

I can assure the Deputy that the policy of discharging patients from psychiatric hospitals to the community is in line with Government policy as outlined in the 1984 Report of the Study Group on the Development of the Psychiatric Services,Planning for the Future and the Green Paper on Mental Helath which was published in June 1992.