Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ1: Hospital Authority psychiatric in-patient service

Following is a question by the Hon Cyd Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (April 20):

Question:

It is learnt that some staff members of care and attention homes for the elderly (C&AHs) have referred emotionally unstable residents to the mental hospitals under the Hospital Authority. The family members of these residents believe that such a practice of C&AHs is to punish those residents who are not cooperative. Moreover, some residents have been sentenced to Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre (SLPC) for treatment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(1) the number of cases in which C&AHs referred their residents to various mental hospitals in each of the past three years (with a tabulated breakdown by name of mental hospital), and the general reasons for making such referrals;

(2) the number of cases in which residents were sentenced to SLPC for treatment in each of the past three years and the general reasons for the sentences;

(3) among the cases in (1) and (2), the number of days for which residents stayed in mental hospitals or SLPC (set out the breakdown in Table 1); and

(4) among the cases in (1) and (2), the number of residents who were referred to mental hospitals by C&AHs or sentenced to SLPC more than once, and whether the reasons for referring or sentencing the residents to such institutions again were generally the same as the reasons for referring or sentencing them to such institutions for the first time; the number of days for which residents stayed in such institutions when they were referred or sentenced to such institutions again (set out the breakdown in Table 2)?

Reply:

President,

(1), (3) and (4) Generally speaking, patients in need of psychiatric in-patient service of the Hospital Authority (HA) (including those living in care and attention homes for the elderly (C&A homes)) will be sent to designated mental hospitals under the HA. The designated mental hospitals under the Declaration of Mental Hospital (Consolidation) Order (Cap. 136B) are Castle Peak Hospital, Kwai Chung Psychiatric Observation Unit (Kwai Chung Hospital), Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Psychiatric Observation Unit (Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital), New Territories East Psychiatric Observation Unit (Tai Po Hospital) and Kowloon Psychiatric Observation Unit (Kowloon Hospital).

For any patient who has been assessed by a doctor of the HA to be in need of psychiatric in-patient service and has indicated his/her consent for hospitalisation, the HA will ask him/her or his/her parent/guardian (if the patient is under the age of 16) to sign the "Application for reception as a voluntary patient" in accordance with section 30 of the Mental Health Ordinance (Cap. 136) (Ordinance). Upon receipt of the application form, the medical superintendent of the respective mental hospital may admit the patient as a voluntary patient.

According to section 31 of the Ordinance, an application may be made by anyone to a District Judge or magistrate for the detention of a patient suffering from mental disorder for observation in the interests of his/her own health or safety or with a view to the protection of other persons. The application shall include the opinion of a registered medical practitioner certifying that the patient has satisfied the relevant statutory conditions. A patient who is not satisfied with the order may, according to section 59B of the Ordinance, make an application to the Mental Health Review Tribunal for review of his/her case.

The number of admissions of patients from C&A homes to the designated mental hospitals under the HA through "voluntary admission" and "admission under a court order" is set out in Table 3.

Among the cases in Table 3, the number of days that patients from C&A homes stayed in the designated mental hospitals under the HA is set out in Table 4.

For the cases in Table 3, the number of patients from C&A homes who have been admitted to designated mental hospitals of the HA for more than once is set out in Table 5.

The HA psychiatric services do not maintain records about the reasons for admission and re-admission of patients.

(2) The Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre is a correctional institution for detention of persons in custody according to court orders. It provides psychiatric observation, treatment, assessment or special psychological services. The Correctional Services Department does not maintain information about the number of C&A homes residents who have been sentenced to Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre by court.

Ends/Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:33

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