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Written question asked by Lynne Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 4 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2010. It was answered by Phil Hope (Labour) on Thursday, 11 March 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Mentally Ill: Community Care

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients subject to community treatment orders were referred to a doctor for a second opinion within 28 days of being released from hospital in each quarter since November 2008; how many doctors were available to provide second opinions for community treatment orders; and if he will make a statement.
Answer

The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is responsible for the appointment of second opinion appointed doctors (SOADs) in accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983.The first table shows, by quarter, the number of requests received by CQC for SOAD opinions in respect of patients on community treatment orders (CTOs) between 3 November 2008 and 8 March 2010 and the proportion of such requests which were received within 28 days of start of the CTO. The table shows that, overall, 60 per cent. of requests were received within the 28 day period. To improve this position and to help ensure that all requests are received and allocated within the first 28 days, CQC has written to mental health providers to ask that requests be submitted within 48 hours of the start of a CTO.The second table gives information on the number of doctors on CQC's panel of doctors who are available to be appointed to give SOAD opinions in individual cases (the SOADs panel).

Table: Requests for SOAD opinions for CTO patients by quarter, showing number and proportion received within first 28 days of the CTO
Quarter Total requests received Number of requests received with first 28 days Proportion of total)(%)
Q3 2008-2009¹ (3 November 2008 to 31 December 08) 419 313 75
Q4 2008-09 (1 January 2009 to 31 March 2009) 1,234 744 60
Q1 2009-10 (1 April 2009 to 30 June 2009) 1,199 694 58
Q2 2009-10 (1 July 2009 to 30 September 2009) 1,048 589 56
Q3 2009-10 (1 October 2009 to 31 December 2009) 1,049 642 61
Q4 2009-10² (1 January 2010 to 8 March 2010) 793 441 56
Total 5,742 3,423 60
¹ Information for the third quarter of 2008-2009 covers only the period from 3 November, when CTOs were first introduced, to 31 December.
² Information for the current quarter is complete to 8 March 2010.
Source:
Care Quality Commission.
Table: Number of doctors on CQC SOADs panel, by date.
Number of SOADs
1 November 2008 101
1 January 2009 110
1 April 2009 98
1 July 2009 97
1 October 2009 107
1 January 2010 111
8 March 2010 115
Note:
Doctors on the panel may not have been available to give SOAD opinions at all times during each period.
Source:
Care Quality Commission.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
507 c470-2W; 321343
Session
2009-10
Subjects
Community treatment orders
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk