Convert old hospitals to help the mentally ill

MUCH to my surprise, I found myself in agreement with the commentator Peter Hitchens, when he claimed “the stupidest thing to come out of the 1960s was the crazy decision by Enoch Powell, then Minister of Health, to shut down and sell off dozens of mental hospitals”.

He could have added that the number of NHS beds in England has been reduced from 299,000 to 142,000 — as many as 100,000 from mental health facilities — over the past 30 years.

Presently, there are 18,450 NHS are categorised as mental health beds.

In an era of heightened awareness, it is hard to understand why 15,000 psychiatric beds have been cut over the past five years.

While recognising that institutional care was far from perfect, the patients had shelter, ample food and drink, work, leisure and exercise, and care was provided by qualified nursing staff. Community care, especially for the elderly, is often provided by unqualified and untrained care assistants, who work under impossible time pressures.

Many thousands of mentally ill people are homeless, doped with drugs, or prone to violence as they wander aimlessly around our streets. Yet, I believe there is an answer, waiting only for a motivated minister.

Many old psychiatric hospitals are lying empty, while many more might have less than 25% occupancy.

I suggest that these facilities should be utilised, not as large, soulless wards, but divided into homely units and staffed with qualified nurses, students, counsellors, psychotherapists and trained volunteers.

Provision of the basic needs of food, water and sleep, coupled with a safe environment, are the first necessary steps in any care.

Will it ever happen? Or must ill people continue to suffer on the cross of community care?

JOHN ORR Bangor, Co Down