Two years ago, the FRP together with the Labor Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party won approval for the downsizing of inpatient places in psychiatry to be stopped. It was the current government parties that at the time secured a majority for the proposals in opposition. Unfortunately, after they came into government, they have shown little willingness to follow through on their own decisions. It has become increasingly difficult to admit people to psychiatry. The requirement for consent competence means that many who should have received help do not get it. Alternatively, they are transferred to the municipalities, which in many cases do not have sufficient capacity or competence to look after people who are seriously mentally ill. The number who have been sentenced to compulsory mental health care in recent years has increased significantly, while the number of 24-hour places has been greatly reduced. It is a paradox that one can be so mentally ill that one is not considered criminally responsible or sane, but still be considered healthy enough not to be forcibly committed. Good mental healthcare must be based on care for patients and ensure a service that actually works. In addition, society’s right to protection against people who may pose a danger to themselves and others must be safeguarded. The FRP put in NOK 200 million for more inpatient places in psychiatry in our alternative budget for 2023. In addition, we have put forward a number of proposals that would help to get more inpatient places in psychiatry. Among other things, we have proposed looking at the consequences of the introduction of consent requirements in psychiatry. In addition, we will have investigated changes to the Criminal Code and the Mental Health Protection Act to better meet society’s need for protection against seriously mentally ill people. Unfortunately, there has been little political will for this. In 2022, Kripos presented the report “Violence committed by persons with serious mental disorders”. It indicates that the number of violent cases in which the perpetrator has been sentenced to compulsory mental health care or cases which have been dropped due to doubts about sanity increased by 74 per cent between 2016 and 2020. Kripos also writes in the report that: “Since the increase in violence committed by persons with serious mental disorders is significantly greater than the simultaneous increase in other acts of violence, it makes it likely that parts of the increase are particularly linked to the framework around the seriously mentally ill.” This must be taken seriously. Unfortunately, through several tragic incidents in recent years, we have seen that people who have committed murder and acts of violence have been in contact with the aid system, but have not received the necessary help. The reason is often that these are people who cannot be forcibly admitted, because they have the competence to consent and do not want help themselves. This should set alarm bells ringing. Long-time psychiatrist Randi Rosenqvist has herself stated several times that “there can be a lot of good care in coercion”. People who are committed are not committed for fun, but because it is not always the person who is best suited to assess whether or not they need help. The downsizing of inpatient places in psychiatry has taken place over many years, and is the responsibility of all parties. Now it is time for us to take this responsibility and ensure that the downsizing stops. It just requires political will.
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Stop the downsizing of inpatient places in psychiatry – Statement
