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<p>The information is not held in the format requested. Mental health providers have
been required to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of patients who have been
absent without leave. The following table shows the number of notifications of patients
absent without leave since 2010-11 and 2012-13, latest data available.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Notifications of absence without leave from 2010-11 to 2012-13</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>2012-13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Notifications</p></td><td><p>4183</p></td><td><p>4896</p></td><td><p>3923</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p><em>Source:</em> Care Quality Commission</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since
1 April 2010, providers have been required to notify the CQC of any inpatients who
are absent without leave, which is defined by certain parameters. For the first three
years of this data collection, providers were required to notify the CQC of all patients
absent without leave whose absence records were still open at midnight on the day
the absence began. Incidences of absences at any time from high security hospitals,
and the return of persons from unauthorised absences had to be recorded also.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Between 2010-11 to 2012-13, all mental health providers were
required to notify the CQC of patients who were absent without leave.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Since 1 April 2013, only mental health providers with a designated
level of security of high, medium or low are required to notify the CQC of patients
who are absent without leave. In 2013-14 there were 909 notifications of absence without
leave from services designated as low, medium or high security.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>There has been no assessment of the risk to the public of patients absent without
leave. Instances of mental health patients absent without leave causing harm to the
public are rare. We would expect mental health providers to work with their commissioners,
other partners and the authorities if a patient reported as absent without leave poses
a significant risk to the public.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There has been no
assessment of the impact of availability of mental health beds on the numbers of patients
reported as absent without leave. Commissioners and mental health providers work together
to ensure the availability of inpatient beds for people who require them based on
need.</p><p> </p>
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