Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 11 September (HL813), whether their definition of "out of areas placement" includes admission to an appropriate independent sector mental health inpatient facility, which is in the patient’s local area and where his or her care co-ordinator can visit regularly.

An out of area placement (OAP) for acute mental health in-patient care happens when a person with assessed acute mental health needs, who requires adult mental health acute inpatient care, is admitted to a unit that does not form part of the usual local network of services.

By this, we mean an inpatient unit that does not usually admit people living in the catchment of the person’s local community mental health service, and where the person cannot be visited regularly by their care co-ordinator to ensure continuity of care and effective discharge planning.

Sending Providers are to determine if a placement is classed as an OAP. The definition necessarily allows providers to apply knowledge of local catchment arrangements and the patient’s circumstances in taking a decision if a placement is an OAP. OAPs can occur within one NHS Provider, in other NHS Providers, or in Independent Sector Providers.

Based on this definition of an adult acute mental health OAP, it is the decision and responsibility of the Sending Provider to submit data identifying the OAP based on the provider’s knowledge of local catchment arrangements and the person’s circumstances. The definition necessarily allows providers the flexibility to make this decision