Mental health services facing cutbacks

MENTAL health services in north Essex are facing potential £4m cutbacks, including bed closures and job losses, it has emerged.

Bosses at North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust are bracing themselves for the crisis after they were warned their funding from primary care trusts was set to be reined in.

MENTAL health services in north Essex are facing potential £4m cutbacks, including bed closures and job losses, it has emerged.

Bosses at North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust are bracing themselves for the crisis after they were warned their funding from primary care trusts was set to be reined in.

No final decisions have been made and any changes would be subject to a public consultation, they say.

Dr Richard Coleman, chief executive of mental health partnership, said yesterday it was facing “a complete u-turn in investment”.

“A target sum has been given to us but this can’t be done purely through efficiencies,” he said.

We are looking at reducing senior manager posts and other savings as well as house-keeping type savings. Every year we have to make efficiency savings as a routine thing but this is over and above that.”

He added: “It may mean beds to be closed, we need to look at how our community teams are organised and at our estates and see if there are savings that could be made there. All these sorts of things will be put into the pot.”

The trust has 500 beds for mental health patients across the county.

Most of these are on the sites of existing hospitals like Colchester General but some are within the hospital itself such as Peter Bruff ward at Clacton Hospital.

Dr Coleman said mental health services had historically been under-invested in but more recently this had improved.

“Now we are almost rolling it back again to where we were. It is potentially a big backwards step,” he said.

“We really want to try and keep the progress that’s been made going as services have improved significantly and we got a very good rating from the Healthcare Commission.”

He added that one in four people would be affected by a mental illness at some point in their life and it was three times more common than cancer.

Dr Coleman said news of the funding shortfall had come through several weeks ago and the trust had decided to speak out to forewarn staff.

Aidan Thomas, chief executive of West Essex PCT said: “West Essex Primary Care Trust and the other PCTs in north Essex are facing a tough financial challenge.

“To address this the PCT is looking at all services which they commission, not just mental health services, to see how these can be delivered more effectively. “We are discussing a reduction in the mental health budget but this would be over a three-year period and has yet to be finalised.

“We will be working with the local mental health partnership to ensure that patients receive the services they need.”

A North East Essex Primary Care Trust spokesman said: “We are working closely with the lead commissioner – West Essex Primary Care Trust – to review the funding of the mental health trust.

“We very much value the services provided by the mental health trust and no decisions have been made at this stage.”

A spokesman for Mid Essex Primary Care Trust said: “Mid Essex PCT is undertaking a rigorous review by its new management team which has identified additional cost pressures and risks to the recovery plan for the year 2006/7.

“To this end the PCT has engaged the support of a team of turnaround specialists from KPMG who are working with the PCT to assist it to develop turnaround plans.

“The PCT is looking to all its partner NHS organisations, including the Mental Health Trust, to endorse a joint approach to achieving efficiency savings.”

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/mental-health-services-facing-cutbacks-1-78452