Mental Health Inpatient Census 2022 Parts 1 and 2

Introduction

This report presents an overview of the results of the sixth ‘Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census’ and the ‘Mental health, addiction, and learning disability Patients: Outwith NHS Scotland Placements Census’. The census was carried out by the Scottish Government and NHS Boards and this data is is a snapshot as at 23:59, 11th April 2022. The Census is designed to provide an understanding, at a point in time, of how many patients are in, and why they are in, mental health, addiction, and learning disability beds funded by NHS Scotland..   

The Census also enhances the Scottish Government’s and NHS Scotland’s understanding of mental health, addiction, and learning disability services and the patients using these services more generally. This analytical evidence will inform policy development and service planning, both nationally and locally.

To enable further research and statistical analysis, extracts of the Census datasets may be made available to approved researchers.

Scope of Census

Following on from the first Census, held in October 2014, a review of the scope, frequency and questions were undertaken by Scottish Government in collaboration with NHS Boards. This led to a number of differences between the 2014 Census and the 2016 Census. Most notably, a third part was introduced in 2016 in order to reduce duplication for NHS Boards. Each Census from 2016 up to and including the 2022 Census are broadly comparable. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the census was not carried out in 2020 and 2021.

The census consists of three parts:

Part 1: Mental health and learning disability inpatient bed Census

Part 2: Mental health, addiction, and learning disability patients: outwith NHS Scotland placements Census

Part 3: Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care & Long Stay Census

This report covers Part 1 and 2 of the Inpatient Census. A separate report is available covering Part 3: Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care and Long Stay patients.

The underlying data used for this report has undergone extensive validation by NHS Boards and Scottish Government Statisticians and is therefore being published as Official Statistics. All figures are provisional and may be subject to change in future publications.

Accompanying data

An accompanying spreadsheet containing the data behind this report as well as some summary information at NHS Board level is also available.

Staff in NHS Boards can request access to more detailed analysis. Access is granted by a nominated NHS Board authoriser. For more details please contact mhic@gov.scot.

Acknowledgements     

We are extremely grateful to all those who assisted with the Inpatient Census, in particular, colleagues from the health boards, hospitals, and care homes who provided information.

Future plans for the Census

It is intended to repeat  the Census at the end of March 2023 and any methodological changes will be informed by this year’s Census.