Centre for Mental Health

Secure hospital population at a record high, says Sainsbury Centre factfile

10 September 2007

The number of people detained in secure psychiatric wards in England reached a record high of 3,723 in July 2007, according to a factfile published today by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

Forensic Mental Health Services: Facts and figures on current provision shows that the population of high and medium secure units rose by 45% between 1996 and 2006. While the number kept in high secure hospitals has fallen, numbers in medium secure beds have grown consistently.

Forensic mental health services provide care for people who have come into contact with the criminal justice system and have been transferred to secure NHS services. Figures collated by Sainsbury Centre show that:

• Fewer than half of people admitted to secure hospital stay for more than five years.
• Most people are admitted to secure hospitals from prison.
• Over one-third of people detained in 2004 had committed violent offences.
• About 40 people per quarter have to wait in prison for over three months before a transfer to secure hospital.
• Fewer than one patient in ten re-offends within two years of being discharged from secure hospital.
• In 2005, 26 people died while being detained in a secure hospital.

Factfile co-author Max Rutherford said: "Forensic mental health services form an important alternative to prison for people with severe mental health problems. Yet little is known about them outside the mental health system and they rarely figure in public debate. Our factfile sets out the facts and figures about forensic services to help to inform discussion about their role and their future."

Sainsbury Centre director of prisons and criminal justice Sean Duggan said: "With prisoner numbers reaching record levels, we need viable alternatives for people with the most severe mental health problems. Currently, medium secure beds are the only option in many places. The number of people being detained in these units is growing year on year.

"These figures raise important questions for national policy. Are secure hospitals the best form of diversion from prison? Would community-based alternatives be better? With one prisoner in ten experiencing severe mental illness, how many places are needed in forensic care?"