The Care Quality Commission’s annual State of Care report shows that mental health services are struggling to cope and that this is affecting the quality of care they provide, Centre for Mental Health chief executive Andy Bell said today.
“Referrals for mental health care rose by 15% over the last two years. This is a result of higher levels of need in the population. Mental health services have not been able to grow quickly enough to meet these needs, so more people are waiting for longer for help. And longer waits often mean people become more unwell before they finally get a service, and their outcomes are poorer.
“It is now over three years since NHS England recommended a new set of access and waiting time standards for mental health care. But they are yet to be adopted on a par with those for physical health care. As a result, people with mental health problems are losing out in a system that puts less emphasis on their needs. An estimated 1.8 million people are waiting for mental health support, and many will end up in crisis because of delays in getting help.
“The report is right to recognise the impact of institutional racism and to call for mental health services to adopt anti-racist principles and practices in tackling the inequities facing Black people in the NHS. The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework has the potential to drive systemic change if it is implemented in full, in depth, and sustainably.
“The report finds that there are wide variations between different localities in what mental health services are available. It also points to longstanding difficulties in recruiting and retaining the mental health workforce. These difficulties require a long-term solution, to build up a workforce that can meet people’s needs, and invest in approaches that have the best chance of meeting people’s needs quickly, locally, and engagingly.
“The State of Care report provides yet more evidence of the pressures facing mental health services and the need for them to adapt to meet people’s needs. But it also highlights the importance of taking action now to build a mentally healthier future, protecting and promoting the nation’s mental health to turn around the rising levels of distress that are putting people, communities and services under so much pressure now.”
