BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING LONG TERM IN-PATIENT CARE

Early day motion 1345, tabled 20 May 2002 by Lynne Jones (Labour). Signed by 98 members.

That this House notes that long-stay patients receiving free in-patient care, including large numbers of people suffering from mental ill health, receive only ú15.10 per week state benefit; also notes the comments of the Chief Executive of South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust that the trust is regularly having to supplement this allowance from care budgets to ensure that people's basic needs for clothing, toiletries, haircuts and other personal items are met, causing a drain on NHS resources; further notes that this grossly inadequate personal income is depriving patients of the means to develop greater independence and compromises severely their social inclusion and integration into the ordinary life of the community; welcomes the campaigning work on this issue by Derbyshire Patients' Council; and calls on the Government to raise the amount of benefit that long-stay patients receive to at least ú30.00 per week.

Signatures by party: Labour 57, Liberal Democrat 27, Labour/Co-operative 6, Conservative 2, UUP 2, DUP 1, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.