Prisons replace hospitals
Sir: I would like to thank your columnist Theodore Dalrymple for highlighting the very serious issue of the mentally ill being detained in prison rather than being treated in hospital due to the acute shortage of beds (Losing Patients', 6 November).
I am sure the general public is not aware of this and that the government would prefer to conceal it. I have personal experience of this situation as my son was detained in a young offenders' establishment for two months before a hospital bed in a secure unit could be found for him. He fell victim to the massaging of figures that Dr Dalrymple refers to when the NHS facility where he was originally supposed to go decided to reorganise beds.
With the current legislation in place, it is very difficult to detain psychotic people who may be a danger to others until they have actually committed an offence as, unfortunately, my son eventually did despite warnings to the team who were handling his case. Dr Dalrymple is right to point out that care in the community is a social experiment that has caused untold suffering and misery for many families. Parents should not have to press criminal charges in order for their children to receive treatment and feel relieved that their relative is in a prison and not at large in the community. Regrettably, that is the harsh reality that many of us with mentally ill relatives face.
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