Katie Yau, Adetola Obateru and Andy Bell
At a time of rising demand for mental health care, investment in mental health has never been more needed. Yet the share of NHS spending on mental health services has stagnated, and services are unable to keep pace with increased demand.
The upcoming ten-year health plan and Spending Review are an opportunity for the Government to deliver much needed investment, which would support its ambition to shift care from hospitals to the community and from treatment to prevention.
Commissioned by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network as part of the Mental Health Economics Collaborative (MHEC), Investment priorities for mental health 2025 sets out six key areas for investment which have strong evidence bases and represent good value for money:
- Enabling health visitors to support new mothers’ mental health
- Rolling out evidence-based parenting programmes
- Expanding the network of early support hubs for young people
- Expanding offers within the NHS Talking Therapies programme
- Expanding Individual Placement and Support employment services
- Providing alternatives to hospital admission in a mental health crisis.
The report urges the Government to follow some key principles to maximise the effectiveness of this investment: take a holistic approach to mental health care; offer tailored and flexible mental health support; provide adequate mental health support in later life; and build a stronger mental health workforce.
The nation’s mental health is deteriorating – and the costs of inaction are stark. These investment priorities will help to turn the tide on worsening mental health, providing vital support where it can make a significant difference.
