Medium secure care centres will improve public safety as patients who have undergone treatment and rehabilitation are less likely to become ill again and so re-offend after they are discharged.

Patients will also have access to follow up mental health care and support in the community.

This will enable staff to monitor their progress and arrange for patients to be re-admitted to hospital if their mental health starts to deteriorate and they become unwell.

In addition, the introduction of new medium secure care hospitals will increase the treatment options available and bridge the gap which currently exists between high secure and low secure mental health hospitals.

It also provides a continuum of care where patients will able to move through high, medium and low security care on a gradual basis as they recover.

This is a far safer and more effective model of care than the current arrangements where patients are transferred directly from high security mental health hospitals to low security mental health hospitals or discharged straight back into the community.