Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T22:02:31.608Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Discrepancies and inaccuracies in statistics for detained patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Teresa Nemitz
Affiliation:
Midlands Centre for Criminology, Department of Social Sciences, University of Loughborough
Philip Bean
Affiliation:
Midlands Centre for Criminology, Department of Social Sciences, University of Loughborough, Leicester LE11 3TU
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

While conducting a study on the nature and extent of compulsory admissions to mental hospitals within the four London regional health authorities, discrepancies and inaccuracies were revealed in many of those mental hospital in-patient statistics. The nature and extent of some of these are examined. It is suggested that the value of such statistics for government planning must be questioned as is their value for research. It is recommended that a centralised system of collecting and collating such data be introduced as a matter of priority and that such a system be operated by the Mental Health Act Commission.

Type
Audit
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1994

References

Barnes, M., Bowl, R. & Fisher, M. (1990) Sectioned: Social Services and the 1983 Mental Health Act London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bean, P. T. & Nemitz, T. (1992) The Nature and Extent of Compulsory Admissions to Mental Hospitals within the Four London Regional Health Authorities, The King's Fund.Google Scholar
Department of Health Service Indicators Group (1988) A Report on Körner Indicators, London: Department of Health and Social Security.Google Scholar
Department of Health Service Indicators Group Statistical Bulletin, Bulletin 2(7)92 , In-patients informally detained in hospitals under the Mental health Act 1983 and other legislation, England: 1984-1989/90, p.9.Google Scholar
Glover, G. R. (1987) Birthplace not stated or born at sea, Psychological Medical, 17, 10091012.Google Scholar
Glover, G. R. et al (1990) Indicators of mental hospital bed use. Health Trends, 22, Number 3 Google Scholar
Hirsch, S., Platt, S., Knights, A. C. & Weyman, A. (1979) Shortening hospital stay for psychiatric care: effect on patients and their families. British Medical Journal 1, 442446.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.