Mental Health Inpatient Census 2024 - Parts 1 and 2

Introduction

This report provides an overview of the results from the census conducted by the Scottish Government and NHS Boards on April 10th 2024: the ‘Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census’ and the ‘Mental Health, Addiction and Learning Disability Patients: Outwith NHS Scotland Placements Census.’

These censuses aim to understand patients in mental health, addiction, and learning disability beds funded by NHS Scotland at a specific point in time. The census also helps the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland gain insights into mental health, addiction, and learning disability services as well as the patients using these services. This information will be used for policy development and service planning at both national and local levels.

Scope of the Census

After the first Census in October 2014, the Scottish Government collaborated with NHS Boards to review the censuses' scope, frequency, and questions. This led to some differences between the 2014 and 2016 Census. Notably, in 2016, a third part was introduced to reduce duplication for NHS Boards. The Censuses from 2016 to 2024 are mostly comparable. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no census in 2020 and 2021.

The census consists of three parts:

• Part 1: Mental Health and Learning Disability Inpatient Bed Census
• Part 2: Mental Health, Addiction and Learning Disability Patients: Outwith NHS Scotland Placements Census
• Part 3: Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care & Long Stay Census (patients not occupying Mental Health, Addiction and Learning Disability Inpatient Beds)

Coverage in this Report

This report covers Part 1 and Part 2 of the Inpatient Census. Part 3 data can be found in a separate report, which includes Hospital-Based Complex Clinical Care and Long Stay patients.

Data Validation and Provisional Figures

The data used in this report has undergone thorough validation by NHS Boards and Scottish Government Statisticians, making it Official Statistics. However, all figures provided are provisional and may be subject to change in future publications.

Accompanying Data and Access

An accompanying spreadsheet containing the data behind this report is available. This includes some summary information at NHS Board level.

NHS Boards’ staff can request access to more detailed analysis with approval from a designated NHS Board authoriser. For inquiries, please contact mhic@gov.scot.

Extracts of the Census datasets may be provided to approved researchers for further research and statistical analysis.

Future Plans for the Census

A repeat of the Census was carried out in April 2025. Any methodological changes for future censuses will be based on insights from this year’s Census.

An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland

These statistics are official statistics. Official statistics are statistics that are produced by crown bodies, those acting on behalf of crown bodies, or those specified in statutory orders, as defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Scottish Government statistics are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. All figures provided are provisional and may be subject to change in future publications.

More information about Scottish Government statistics is available on the Scottish Government website.