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

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