PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment (18 July 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS Digital's report, Out of Area Placements in Mental Health Services, published in April 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for 205,990 days being spent by patients in inappropriate out of area placements in 2021-22 as a result of no appropriate mental health services being available locally.

Asked by:
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)

No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England has advised that many local systems are experiencing high levels of acuity, new presentations and the backlog of treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, some areas are experiencing staff absences and delayed discharges which has caused local beds to be unavailable in a timely way. All systems which have inappropriate out of area placements are required to refresh the local plans to ensure these placements are eliminated soon as reasonably possible. We continue to monitor such placements with NHS England.

Answered by:
Gillian Keegan (Conservative)
26 July 2022