News

Call to be transparent on mental health spending

Let the public and staff see where CCGs are spending their resources on tackling mental health says CEO of organisation after politicians claim promises have been broken

A mental health organisation has called for better access to budgetary figures after Labour accused the government of failing to keep its promise to increase the money spent on services this year.

The Mental Health Network chief executive Stephen Dalton believes Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have been told to spend more by NHS England, but is concerned at the lack of published data to prove they are actually doing so.

He said: ‘While some mental health services have seen modest investment, most on the frontline report they are at a standstill and others have seen a reduction in spending.

‘Everyone agrees that investing in mental health services is in the best interest of the wider NHS, but we urgently need figures to demonstrate whether money is following the good intentions.’

A series of requests under the Freedom of Information Act by Labour’s shadow public health minister, Luciana Berger, reportedly shows more than a third of CCGs (50 of the 130 which responded) are planning to reduce mental health spending in 2015/16.

She said: ‘Ministers talk about parity of esteem between physical and mental health services all the time but they are not translating their rhetoric into reality.

‘While the government fails to take the urgent action required to support our struggling mental health services, some of the most vulnerable patients are left suffering without the help and support they need.’

In response a Department of Health spokesperson said: 'We do not recognise these figures. NHS England has shown mental health spending has increased by £0.4bn this year.

'Mental health is a priority for this government and to say otherwise ignores the fact we have given mental and physical health conditions equal priority in law.