£3 million spent per year on beds for Dementia Patients

Published by GovToday for GovToday in Health and also in Communities

The NHS could be saving around £65 million pounds per year by investing more into community mental health services. These are the findings in the Kings Fund's latest report entitled NHS Productivity: The critical role of mental health.

Speaking to Govtoday, Author of the Report and Kings Fund researcher, Chris Naylor, said:

"The NHS faces a daunting financial challenge. It has been charged with finding up to £20 billion a year in efficiency savings by 2014/15. If it fails to do so, there is a danger that the quality of care experienced by patients will suffer.

 Mental health services account for over 10 per cent of NHS spending, and will need to play a central role in tackling this productivity challenge. Rising demand for mental health services, driven by higher levels of unemployment, the growing number of people with dementia, and other factors, means that there is an urgent need to change the way services are provided so that more can be achieved within existing budgets."

The research, conducted jointly by The King’s Fund and the Centre for Mental Health, highlights good practice and innovative service models already found in some areas of England. These examples demonstrate that there are a number of opportunities to provide mental health services in a different, more cost-effective way.

Speaking about the research and the huge scope Community mental health can play in finding the £20 billion per year in NHSsavings, Naylor said:

"There is enormous scope, for example, to improve the way inpatient care is provided. Inpatient units are a vital component of good quality care for some people experiencing mental health problems, but analysis by the Audit Commission shows that provision varies significantly between different parts of the country. Crisis teams can help people to stay in their own homes for longer, and be discharged from hospital as soon as they are ready. By investing more in these and other community services, inpatient facilities in some areas could be used more efficiently, potentially saving millions of pounds while freeing up beds for those who need them most.

Another important area where savings could be made is ‘out-of-area treatments’. Around 10,000 people with mental health problems are transferred to facilities outside their local area because the perception is that their needs cannot be met locally. However, evidence suggests that for many of these people, strengthening local services would be a more cost-effective solution than relying on specialist facilities provided far away from their homes and families. This could save an estimated £65 million while also giving several thousand people care that is more suited to their needs."

The full article can be found at www.govtoday.co.uk