Stop harmful cuts to
services
The
NHS Constitution gives people in England the right to drugs and
treatments that have been recommended by NICE, if they are clinically
appropriate for that person. These must be made
available and remain unaffected by wider budgetary concerns.
In just under a year, the NHS is likely to
experience the start of an £8–10 billion real terms
cut in funding. This will affect frontline NHS services, the
people who use them (and their carers), and the staff working to
provide care and treatment. However, it must not affect
access to services or treatments that are recommended by NICE
and SIGN clinical guidelines.
Mental health services are particularly
vulnerable to such cuts. This is often due to the different
way in which mental health services are monitored and funded , and
the way outputs are measured, compared to other areas of the
NHS. In addition the commissioning of mental health
services is not yet as effective or as well developed as in
physical health services.
At the same time, however, the 'economic
fallout' from the Uk recession - in the form of unemployment,
reduced income, debt and other circumstances - has been strongly
linked with poorer mental health and an increased demand for mental
health services.
This challenge of reduced resources and
potentially increased demand presents a difficult choice.
Harmful and disproportionate cuts to mental health services would,
without doubt, deliver immediate, medium and long term pain for the
NHS, and also other public services. Most importantly, it
would impact negatively on those people experiencing mental
distress and illness, as well as their carers and families. Such
'short-cut commissioning' would not only increase their burden, but
would ultimately result in a larger economic burden for the
nation.
However, like other areas of the public
sector, mental health will face a very real squeeze on its
finances. This will challenge everyone to deliver more with
the resources they have, without compromising quality or safety. It
presents an opportunity to examine the way services are currently
delivered and together with government and NHS.
Further Resources
Royal College of Psychiatrists Occasional Paper
70 -
Mental Health and the Economic Downturn: National priorities and
NHS solutions
NHS Confederation Report -
Dealing with the downturn: the greatest ever leadership challenge
for the NHS?
Kings Fund Report - How
cold will it be? Prospects for NHS funding: 2011-2017