Drugs: Young People

Department of Health written question – answered at on 20 March 2015.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Charles Walker Charles Walker Chair, Procedure Committee, Chair, Procedure Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people under 18 years of age have been treated in NHS-funded mental health units for cannabis-induced psychosis in each of the last five years.

Photo of Charles Walker Charles Walker Chair, Procedure Committee, Chair, Procedure Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost is to the NHS of caring for people suffering from (a) addiction to skunk cannabis and (b) mental or physical ill-health as a result of the use of skunk cannabis in each of the last five years.

Photo of Jane Ellison Jane Ellison The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

The table below shows finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of cannabis-induced psychosis, for patients aged 0-17 in the period 2009/10 to 2013/14. This is not a count of people as one person may have had more than one admission episode within the same time period. The clinical codes used for collecting data do not distinguish between different forms of cannabis or between different cannabinoids. Nor does the information identify the type of unit where the patient was treated. Information on the cost of providing healthcare to people misusing or dependent on cannabis is not available.

Count of FAEs1 with a primary or secondary diagnosis2 of cannabis-induced psychosis3, for patients aged 0-17, 2009-10 to 2013-144

Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector

Year

FAEs

2009-10

27

2010-11

32

2011-12

24

2012-13

22

2013-14

38

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Notes:

1 Finished admission episodes

A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

2 Number of episodes in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis

The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.

3 Clinical Coding

Clinical codes used to identify cannabis-induced psychosis:

F12.5 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids Psychotic disorder

Includes but is not limited to cannabis induced psychosis

F12.7 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids, Residual and late-onset psychotic disorder

Includes but is not limited to cannabis induced late onset psychosis

4 Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care)

HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information.

Note that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity ending between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes34 people think so

No14 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.

Annotations

Thomas Speed
Posted on 2 Apr 2015 9:46 pm (Report this annotation)

Tragic indeed for these small amount of cases, but oh... my... word..., such small numbers, this reply ought to be called 'Skunk-Gate'.