Two-tier care scheme 'unfair'

The governing body for psychiatrists has warned that scores of mentally ill offenders will needlessly suffer because ministers are planning to introduce a two-tier treatment system.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists claims that seriously mentally-ill offenders will be treated less fairly in England than in Scotland, being held in high security hospitals for longer than necessary or released into the community too soon.

Health ministers in England and their Scottish counterparts are introducing parallel and separate reforms of their mental health systems over the next few months.

The Royal College, the professional body for psychiatrists, claims that English Department of Health plans are badly out of step with more liberal proposals being planned by the Scottish Executive and the National Health Service in Scotland.

Dr John O'Grady, a senior officer in the Royal College, said English ministers should have copied Scotland's widely praised plans to oversee the treatment of all patients being moved from its high-security hospital Carstairs into lower-security institutions or into the community.

Gordon Craig, chairman of Carstairs, recently said about 30 patients were "trapped" there because Scotland does not have enough medium secure units. A new "capacity test" for every patient will determine if they are genuinely unable to make an informed decision about treatment.

English ministers want offenders to undergo compulsory treatment before they commit a crime.

Dr O'Grady believes this would make the mentally ill less likely to accept help.