Current mental health spending would likely need to double to take the number of people with mental health problems receiving NHS treatment from 40 per cent to 70 per cent, according to a new funding report.
Securing the Future: funding health and social care to the 2030s – a report commissioned by the NHS Confederation – states that UK spending on healthcare will have to rise by an average of 3.3% a year over the next 15 years just to maintain provision at current levels, and by at least 4% a year if services are to be improved. The report, by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Health Foundation, also puts forward a model under which 70 per cent of people with mental health problems receive treatment, which would see annual mental health funding levels need to more than double, to £32 billion by 2033-34 – from 9% of the health budget to around 12%. The IFS and the Health Foundation conclude that to fund a modernised NHS, including this mental health standard, a funding rise of at least 4 per cent per year for the next 15 years could be necessary.
Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Mental Health Network, part of the NHS Confederation, said: “It is well publicised that we are seeing a rise in the number of people needing treatment for mental health issues, and it was a welcome step for the Government to state its intention to put mental health on equal standing with physical health. If we are to really take mental health seriously, however, and not fail thousands of people in need of help, then one thing is crystal clear – investment must be found.
“Nobody wants to pay more than they have to – and all services, including mental health services, must continue to strive to be as efficient as they can be – but this is about protecting our health and ensuring that people experiencing mental health problems are not left without proper treatment and support.”