Autumn Statement response

The College is calling for £450m to be urgently provided to cover the gap in mental health funding caused by inflation.

On 17 November the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Autumn Statement.

In response, Dr Adrian James, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

“To put the NHS first, Government must begin with addressing the crippling workforce shortages.

“The Chancellor was right to commit today to the long overdue, independently verified workforce plan, and we look forward to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care producing a timeline for its publication.

“Mental health services are already under massive pressures with at least 1.4 million people waiting for treatment, and a further 8 million, who would benefit from care if they could actually access it.

“With 9 in 10 adults affected by the cost-of-living crisis and exposed to the potential mental health impact it can have on their lives, we urgently need £450m, which is the amount required to ensure the Government’s commitment of £2.3bn in real terms by 2023/24, just to address the gap in mental health funding caused by inflation alone.”

During a recent Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on staff shortages in the NHS, the Health Minister Will Quince MP advised MPs that the plan will set out what workforce we need across the next five, 10 and 15 years. It will be independently verified and will look at recruitment, retention and productivity.

It will also look at where the challenges and the gaps are. The plan is for the project to report back by the end of this year and the independent verification process will then take place. Integrated care boards will need to do the same, or a similar, piece of work at local level.

The College will be engaging with Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care and officials in NHS England with the aim of influencing the contents and priorities of the workforce plan.

Back to our November 2022 eNewsletter.