In 2019, the NHS launched their Long Term Plan. Mental health services in England are a key beneficiary of increased investment in health over the coming years. This is part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Funding for adult mental health services is set to grow at a faster rate than the overall NHS budget. The NHS in England already spends over 10% of its budget on mental healthcare. Therefore, this meets the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health target for high income countries. The Plan included significant investment in mental health services, with at least a further £2.3bn a year by 2023/24.
What does the NHS Long Term Plan mean for adult mental health?
The Plan set out a work programme for mental health as one the major conditions affecting the population. Consequently, it identified significant improvements to mental healthcare. Recognising that nine out of ten adults with mental health problems are supported in primary care, the Plan proposed continued focus on community mental health services while also making significant investment in crisis care. A review of progress on the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health identified that core community mental health services need to benefit from the kind of focused investment and service standards that has helped specialist services like IAPT (now NHS Talking Therapies) to succeed.
The “world-leading” IAPT programme for common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety will continue to expand. This brings increasing access for those with a long term condition being a particular focus. By 2023/24, an additional 380,000 adults and older adults will be able to access NICE-approved IAPT services. Online therapy treatment options were a core part of this, the driver to increase access for all.
Adult mental health services: The NHS Long Term Plan
In order to tackle inequalities experienced by those with severe mental illness, the Plan highlights the importance of meeting targets.The goal is to support up to 20,000 people to find and retain employment by 2020/21. An additional 280,000 people with severe mental health issues will have their physical health needs met by 2021. This represents an effort to address their poorer overall health and lower life expectancy compared to the general population. Mental healthcare available to the homeless population will also be improved.
The Plan highlighted a range of measures, enabling services to provide better, more appropriate care to those in crisis. Continuing to emphasise the shift to community based care, the Plan proposes that a 24/7 community based crisis response will be established in all areas by 2021, offering intensive home treatment as an alternative to inpatient admission.
The Plan places an increased focus on population health and proposes that each locality will tackle the determinants of mental ill health, with more accurate assessments of the need for mental health services and the causes of poor mental health to be undertaken in each area.
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