PATIENTS admitted to psychiatric hospitals as teenagers are often still in care more than 40 years later, with some being discharged into nursing homes despite wanting to go home.

A review by the state Ombudsman found about a third of psychiatric patients living in mental health facilities did not need to be there, but could not be discharged because no accommodation was available.

''Dickensian'' practice slammed … NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour.

The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, said it it was ''Dickensian'' to keep those people in hospital and it meant already stretched mental health facilities were unable to accommodate new, severely unwell patients.

''Our inquiry identified people aged 24 and 25 years who are capable of living in the community with the right support and who have already been in hospital for over five years,'' Mr Barbour said. ''It is unacceptable that these young people may be facing a similar future to others in our review who were admitted to hospital as teenagers and only left when they were discharged to aged-care facilities.''