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Publication - Statistics

Mental Health Inpatient Census 2024 - Parts 1 and 2

Published
27 May 2025
Directorate
Population Health Directorate
Topic
Health and social care

Results of the eighth Mental Health and Learning Disability Inpatient Census and Outwith NHS Scotland Placements Census, 2024.

Part of

Supporting documents

Key points

In 2024 the number of inpatients and beds decreased compared to 2023 and the occupancy rate increased by 1 percentage point. The number of beds have been decreasing since the first census in 2014.

Figure 1: Number of beds, patients and bed occupancy rates 2014-2024

Psychiatric, addiction or learning disability inpatients, beds and occupancy rates. NHS Scotland, March/April census 2014 - 2024.

Figure 1: The number of beds was 3,366 and number of patients was 3,041, with an occupancy rate of 90% in 2024. This is a 1% increase from 2022 where the occupancy rate of 89%. Figures prior to 2022 are missing some hospital wards and are approximate

  • Patients were most likely to be in an acute ward (33% of all patients)
  • 11% of adult inpatients had a diagnosis of a learning disability or autism.
  • 55% of adult inpatients had at least one long-term physical health condition.
  • There were 40 patients under 18 years old.
  • Forensic services primarily managed 447 patients at the 2024 Census.
  • 135 patients were treated outwith NHS Scotland but funded by them - 90% (122 ) of these patients were treated in a private facility.

Release of the delayed discharge data for the Scottish Government’s 2024 Mental Health Inpatient Census has been delayed because we are engaged in an ongoing data quality assurance and validation process with health boards to ensure the data provided on this topic is robust.

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