BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING LONG TERM IN-PATIENT CARE

Early day motion 647, tabled 2 February 2005 by Lynne Jones (Labour). Signed by 59 members.

That this House notes that long-stay patients receiving inpatient care, including large numbers of people suffering from mental ill health, receive only ú15.90 per week state benefit; further notes the comments of the Chief Executive of Birmingham and Solihull 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 in NHS resources; further notes that this grossly inadequate personal income is depriving patients of the means to develop greater independence and severely compromises their social inclusion and integration into the ordinary life of the community; welcomes the campaigning work on this issue by Mind; and calls on the Government to raise the amount of benefit that long-stay patients receive to at least ú45.50 per week.

Signatures by party: Labour 35, Liberal Democrat 9, Labour/Co-operative 5, DUP 4, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 2.