Bed shortage sees mental health patients sent miles for treatment

DOZENS of mental health patients in Huddersfield were inappropriately sent hundreds of miles away for treatment last year because of a lack of beds.

The latest figures from the NHS have revealed that around 80 mental health patients with acute needs in our town were subject to “out-of-area” placements in 2018. It means they were sent to a unit outside the catchment area of their mental health service.

Some examples of when out of area placements would be considered appropriate would be if there were safeguarding reasons such as gang-related issues, violence and domestic abuse. However, all 80 cases seen in Huddersfield were due to a lack of beds – deemed an “inappropriate” out-of-area placement by the NHS.

Huddersfield’s last remaining in-patient facility, Enfield Down at Honley, was recently reduced from 32 beds to just 15 after years of cuts.

Experts warn that “traumatic” out of area placements can worsen people’s chances of recovery, and say more investment is needed to ensure people get the help they need.

Mark Winstanley, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness said: “We have got to stop sending people miles away when they’re experiencing great distress.

“Anyone who has spent even a night in hospital knows how important it is to stay close to home, so it’s disappointing to see these numbers sliding in the wrong direction.

“It is up to local commissioners to deliver on NHS and government commitments to ensure that those of us who are most severely affected by mental illness are able to access help including local rehabilitation services.”

Some five of the out-of-area placements were almost 200 miles away – farther than the distance between Huddersfield and London as the crow flies. A further 10 were more than 120 miles away, which is greater than the distance between Huddersfield and Wales. Of the placements that had finished over the course of the year, 10 had gone on for more than a month, and five of them for more than 90 days. The placements cost health chiefs in Huddersfield around £550 a day to place an acute mental health patient in a bed outside their local network.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS is committed to eliminating inappropriate out of area placements so patients get the right care, as close to home as possible.

“The NHS Long Term Plan will also increase early intervention community services and strengthen 24/7 crisis response and home treatment teams – meaning more people will get care at home.”