Mental Health

Statistical Publication Notice

26 February 2008

Mental Health (Psychiatric) Activity Statistics

INTRODUCTION

Individuals with a mental health problem may have contact with the National Health Service in Scotland in a variety of different settings including: consultation with their General Practitioner; with a member of a specialist community mental health team; at a hospital outpatient clinic; as day patients in a day hospital or day unit; or as an inpatient in hospital.

In recent years, strategies for the provision of mental healthcare services have changed the emphasis from hospital based inpatient care to outpatient, day patient and community based care. Nevertheless, inpatient treatment comprises a significant proportion of the mental health services provided in Scotland, particularly for the more severe cases and those requiring admission under the Mental Heath Act.

The current interim release presents aggregated activity statistics for mental health hospitals in Scotland and includes an extra year of inpatient data (to the year ending 31st March 2006) for high level summary tables.

National data completeness for the year ending 31 March 2006 is estimated to be 97%. This is predominantly due to a shortfall in SMR04 data submission from Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS board which is currently estimated to be 89% complete for the year

KEY POINTS

25,010 inpatient admissions to mental health hospitals occurred in 2005/2006 continuing the trend of gradual decrease of recent years.
58% of admissions were for patients who had a previous spell of psychiatric inpatient care.

OTHER INFORMATION

Recent improvements in the submission of SMR04 inpatient data allows an interim update of key tables in the hospital inpatient section of the Mental Health web site for the year ending 31st March 2006. The next full release will be issued in June 2008.

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Richard Hunter
Senior Information Analyst
0131 275 6957
richard.hunter@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Gordon Thomson
Information Analyst
0131 275 6844
gordon.thomson@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Tim Norwood
Information Analyst
0131 275 6058
Tim.Norwood@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Mike Muirhead
Programme Principal
Improving Mental Health Information Programme
0131 275 6614
mike.muirhead@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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GLOSSARY:

SMR04 - Scottish Morbidity Record 04 - records information on all inpatient admissions and discharges from NHS mental health (psychiatric) hospitals in Scotland.

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