Mental health services being left to fail – NHS

NHS mental health services are being left to fail, with patients struggling to access both emergency and routine care, health leaders have warned.

The NHS Confederation and the Centre for Mental Health have published a new report calling on the Government to urgently set out its vision for the next decade of mental health support. It said people are being left to suffer for far too long, often only getting the help they need when they are in crisis.

The study calls for early intervention to become the norm, with greater support available in the community. According to the report, a “dearth of investment” and a lack of Government focus on mental health means that staff and services are stretched to capacity, with many now under crippling pressure. The report pointed to a 16% rise in people using NHS mental health services, with a 30% rise in use among under-18s.

A separate study earlier this week from NHS Digital found rising numbers of teenagers suffering poor mental health, with issues including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Mental health leaders are now very concerned of the real and present danger that the services they run are under unsustainable pressure.

“With demand for mental health support outstripping supply and rising at a rapid rate, the Government simply must do more. Estimates suggest that 10 million people will need extra help for their mental health as a direct result of the pandemic, and 1.5 million of those will be children.

“With many people only now coming forward for help, the explosion in demand set against current levels of investment and workforce capacity means the provision of adequate care is becoming quickly unsustainable. This is not something that might happen in some far-off dystopian future – it is something that is already happening on our watch.

“The pressure on mental health provision is also creating a domino effect on the wider NHS and, coupled with the impact the rising cost of living is likely to have on people’s mental health, services are getting closer than ever to breaking point.”

Ifti Majid, chief executive of Nottinghamshire

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “There is no hiding from the fact that demand for mental health services is rising very rapidly and we are seeing a clear impact not just on mental health organisations and their staff but across the NHS and care system as a whole.

“We are now in the midst of a national crisis and to address this adequately we need to see a renewed focus from Government accompanied by further investment – NHS mental health organisations cannot be left to tackle this alone.”

The report sets out a 10-year vision for reforming mental health care, with one area looking at prevention. It said efforts must be made to “reduce the social and economic risk factors” for poor mental health, adding: “In 2032, greater effort will be made to protect and promote our mental health throughout every stage of life and to ensure autistic people and people with learning disabilities are properly supported to have fulfilling and independent lives.”

On early intervention, it said that, in 2032, “services will meet people where they are at, including online, at school, and in community spaces.”