Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census, 2014 - Patients Treated Outwith NHS Scotland

Introduction

This report presents analysis on those patients whose treatment is funded by NHS Boards in Scotland, but who were being treated in a facility out with NHS Scotland (e.g. in a local authority care home, in a private hospital, in an NHS England facility) at the census date.

This is a follow up report from the first Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census. A report^[2] on inpatients who were treated in psychiatric, learning disability or addiction beds in NHS Scotland facilities was released on 30 June 2015. A more detailed report on patients with learning disabilities is planned for 2016.

The first Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census was carried out by the Scottish Government and NHS Boards as at midnight, 29 October 2014. One objective of the census is to provide evidence for Commitment 26 of the Mental Health Strategy for 2012 to 2015.

"We will undertake an audit of who is in hospital on a given day and for what reason to give a better understanding of how the inpatient estate is being used and the degree to which that differs across Scotland."

- Commitment 26, Mental Health Strategy for 2012-2015^[3]

The Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census will also be used to provide data to help us progress 'The Keys to Life: Improving quality of life for people with learning disabilities' Recommendation 51:

"………..establish the Scottish data on out of area placements and report on its findings on how Scotland builds the capacity needed to deliver the specialist services required more locally with an outcome that by 2018 people with learning disabilities and complex care needs who are currently in facilities out with Scotland should be supported to live nearer their family in Scotland"

- Recommendation 51, 'The Keys to Life: Improving quality of life for people with learning disabilities^[4]

This data will help evidence current learning disability bed services in Scotland and enable NHS Boards to review the needs of those with complex needs in out of area placements with a view to building the capacity and commissioning local or regional services in Scotland, where appropriate.

The census will also enhance the Scottish Government's and NHS Scotland's understanding of mental health, addiction and learning disability services more generally, and about the patients who use these services. This analytical evidence will inform policy development, service planning (both nationally and locally).

Scope of census

The census covered:

• every patient occupying a psychiatric, addiction or learning disability inpatient bed in an NHS Scotland facility on the census date (midnight at the end of 29th October 2014) (Part A).
• every mental health, addiction or learning disability patient whose care is funded by NHS Scotland, but is being treated in a facility that is outwith NHS Scotland (e.g. in a local authority care home, in a private hospital, in a NHS England facility), on the census date (midnight at the end of 29^th October 2014) (Part B).

This report focusses on Part B.

As this is the first year of the census, the data collection systems and quality assurance processes in place are still being developed and therefore the statistics shown here should not be considered as National or Official Statistics, but as data under development. All figures are provisional and may be subject to change in future publications.

Future plans for the census

A repeat of the census is intended to be carried out in March 2016, and any methodological changes will be informed by the 2014 census. The next census will expand to include hospital-based complex care patients^[5] as there will be an overlap with the Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census.

This should make the data collection process more simple for data providers (i.e. staff in NHS Boards, Hospitals and Care Homes).