02.10.14
21,600 ‘deprivation of liberty’ applications in just three months
There have been nearly double the number of ‘deprivation of liberty’ (DoL) applications in England in the first quarter of 2014-15 as in the entire year of 2013-14, figures show.
Since 2009, care homes and hospitals have had to seek authorisation from their local authority if they need to deprive an individual who lacks capacity of their liberty as part of their care or treatment as part of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects data from councils on the applications.
In the first quarter of 2014-15 there were 21,600 DoL applications from 130 councils, compared to 12,400 applications from the same amount of councils for the entirety of 2013-14. That is an increase of 9,200 applications already.
Of the 21,600 applications so far this year, 11,100 (51%) have been granted, 2,700 (12%) were not granted and 7,800 (36%) have either been withdrawn or not yet signed off by the supervisory body.
Since DoLs were introduced in 2009, applications have increased year on year. However, the main contributing factor to this quarter’s larger increase is likely the Supreme Court judgment ruling in March 2014, expanding applications to include deprivations that are unopposed by the patient.
HSCIC chair Kingsley Manning said: “The increase in applications has shown that councils have been quick to act on the Supreme Court judgment about when it is appropriate to deprive an individual of their liberty. It is hoped that this voluntary quarterly data collection will help to monitor the scale of these types of applications and the impact the increase is having on councils, in a timely manner.”
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