|
Up to 13,000
people could be placed on community treatment orders over 15 years,
says report
September
28, 2005
by Mike George
Up
to 13,000 people could be placed under community treatment orders
over the next 10 to 15 years, according to a report by a health
think tank.
Plans
to implement community treatment orders (CTOs) are outlined in the
government's draft mental health bill presently going through parliament.
The
figure in the King's Fund report is well above a Department of Health
prediction that about 10% - 1,450 - of patients currently detained
in hospital will be placed under the orders if the draft bill becomes
law.
The
King's Fund predicts 7,000-13,000 people will be placed on CTOs
over the next 10-15 years. The figure is based on international
data and an analysis of how orders may be used in England and Wales.
The report suggests there is likely to be a gradual year-on-year
increase in the number of people placed on CTOs.
Report
author Simon Lawton-Smith said: "There is a strong likelihood
that the numbers of people placed under compulsory community treatment
will increase year-on-year. This has been the experience of almost
all other countries with similar systems."
But
the Department of Health has said the King's Fund figure is "flawed".
A
spokeswoman told the Press Association: "We believe the lack
of quality data and weakness in the analysis means that the estimates
of the use of community-based treatment orders for England and Wales
are flawed.
"For
example, the report does not take into account changes to the bill
that will limit use of community-based treatment to a defined group
of patients.
Read for
yourself:
King's Fund's
A Question of Numbers: The potential impact of community-based treatment
orders in England and Wales
See also:
July
13, 2005: Ministers refuse to add "treatability" condition
to draft mental health bill - fears that more people will be
compulsory treated is fuelled by government response to parliamentary
committee
Add your
comments
What
do you think? Email your comments on the above
article to the editor using the form below. Selected comments will
be displayed.
© 2001-7 Psychminded Limited. All
rights reserved
Email
a colleague
about this article
|
|
