Page last updated: 24-JUN-2008

Mental Health

Statistical Publication Notice

24 June 2008

Mental Health (Psychiatric) Hospital 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 release summarises activity statistics for mental health hospitals in Scotland including inpatient, day patient and outpatient data to the year ending 31st March 2007.

KEY POINTS

  • There were 24,294 inpatient admissions to mental health hospitals during the year ending 31 March 2007. This continues the downward trend seen in recent years and represents a 16 percent fall in the number of admissions since 2003.
  • The number of patients being re-admitted to hospital also continues to fall. In 2006/07, there were 14,184 re-admissions, a decrease of 17% since 2003.
  • Schizophrenia and alcohol/drug related problems accounted for 45% of all discharge diagnoses in men, while dementia and mood (affective) disorders account for half the diagnoses recorded for women. 
  • Half of all patients discharged in 2006/07 stayed in hospital for 2 weeks or less.
  • In the year ending 31 March 2007 there were 53,669 new outpatient attendances in psychiatric specialties.
  • Approximately 15% of admissions were made formally under the jurisdiction of the mental health act in Scotland which is similar to the previous 4 years.

DETAILED FINDINGS

  • Of the 24,294 inpatient admissions in the year ending March 2007, 58% were for patients who had experienced a previous spell of psychiatric inpatient care, 27% were for patients with a first ever admission to psychiatric inpatient care, 10% were transfers from another mental health hospital and for 4% of admissions the admission type is not known.
  • There has been a steady reduction in female first admissions since the 1980s.  First admissions amongst men have remained relatively stable in recent years, although in 2006/07 they show a larger reduction compared to females.
  • Significantly more males than females discharged from psychiatric hospitals have a diagnosis of alcohol/drug related problems or schizophrenia. Conversely a higher proportion of females than males have a diagnosis of mood (affective) disorders.
  • Schizophrenia was most common reason for re-admission amongst males amounting to 28% of all male re-admissions. Mood (affective) disorders was the most common reason for re-admission in females amounting to 35% of all female re-admissions.
  • The length of stay within mental health hospitals varies with age, reflecting the different nature of the illnesses being treated. Three out of four patients (aged 25-44) had a stay in hospital of 4 weeks or less whereas two out of three older patients (aged over 75), who may be suffering from chronic or degenerative illnesses such as dementia, were in hospital for more than 4 weeks.
  • In the year ending 31 March 2007 just under 1.4 million new outpatients were seen in Scotland. The total seen in psychiatric specialties (53,669) accounts for less than 0.5% of all new outpatient appointments. Around 1 in 6 of new outpatients at psychiatric specialties failed to attend an appointment. This compares with 1 in ten of all new outpatient appointments.
  • The proportion of formal admissions has remained around 15% of total admission over the past five years. However, the overall number of formal admissions has followed the downward trend in total admissions.

INTERPRETATION

Within the past year, significant improvements have been made with regard to the level of data completeness and it is estimated that nationally 97% of all data returns for 2006/07 have been made. The shortfall is largely due to data returns from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which are currently estimated to be around 89% complete. It is important to be aware that some of the reported numbers may change in the future as data becomes more complete.
 
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MAIN CONTACTS:

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.
Formal Admission, Formal detention – Admission to psychiatric inpatient facilities under the jurisdiction of the Mental Health (Scotland) Acts 1960 & 1984 and the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Forensic Psychiatry – A specialised branch of clinical psychiatry which relates to mentally disordered offenders and others with similar problems.
 
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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

SEHD
Chief Executive
 
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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: July 2007 (full publication), February 2008 (partial update)
Next Due: June 2009
Data Avaliable Since: Web publication from 2003. Data available from 1982

 


Main contact: Email Gordon Thomson