The Chancellor has delivered his Budget and Spending Review today. In response, Dr Adrian James, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:
“The government is failing to act in the face of the biggest mental health catastrophe in recent history.
“Record numbers of people are waiting for treatment, yet mental health seems to be at the bottom of the list of government priorities in this spending review.
“The smaller funding pledges are welcome but fall tragically short of the need. A total of £8.9bn investment in capital, services and workforce is essential, if we are to tackle a crisis that’s only made worse by years of underinvestment.”
In its report published ahead of the spending review Investing in England's mental health the Royal College of Psychiatrists says it’s a critical time for mental health investment and is calling for:
- £4.9bn in recovery funding over three years for mental health services
- £3bn capital investment
- £1bn for day-to-day running of mental health estate, to ensure existing hospitals are safe
For further information, please contact:
- Email: press@rcpsych.ac.uk
- X: @rcpsych
- Out-of-hours contact number: 07860 755896