Total number of orders in existence
This part of our report addresses the prevalence rather than the incidence of compulsory orders. We assess this by reporting on the total number of people subject to any order on four dates throughout the year. While the number of new CTOs has fallen, the number of people who stay on CTOs is rising. Our data suggests that this is a result of compulsory community treatment and that the rate of new orders is higher than the rate that orders are revoked (see Table 21).
Download Table 21 in Excel format
Last year, we found that the number of people subject to community orders rose, the number subject to long-term detention in hospital fell but there was no overall change in the total number of civil long-term orders. The position seems to have changed this year. Figure 4 shows a rise in all CTOs. This is because the number of people on hospital based orders is no longer falling, while the number of people on community orders continues to rise. We need to be confident that these orders are still necessary, so we plan to prioritise people who have been subject to CTOs for three years or more for our monitoring visits this year. We will examine when the RMO last reviewed whether the grounds for compulsory treatment were still met and look at how the individual is being helped along the road to recovery by taking greater control of his or her own treatment. We will report on this during 2008-09.
Download Table 22 in Excel format
We have examined the number of people subject to any form of compulsory care and treatment by NHS Board area on one day of the year. This is shown in Table 21. Although this provides a sample of just one day, it is remarkably similar to last year's data. Tayside had the highest number last year, but has been overtaken by Lothian and Fife which were second and third highest last year. Borders and (especially) Lanarkshire have very low rates of compulsory treatment. We find these differences hard to understand (see our comments in the 'geographical variations in the use of the Act' section of this report).
