Mental health trusts’ income lower than in 2011-12

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has revealed that mental health trusts have less money to spend on patient care in real terms than they did in 2012.

Once inflation is taken into account, mental health trusts’ income is lower in England now than it was in 2011-12 despite the government claiming that mental health spending is at ‘record’ levels and pledging to make mental health care on par with physical health.

The figures show that 62 per cent of mental health trusts at the end of 2016-17 reported lower income than the amount for 2011-12, with only one trust seeing their income rise all five financial years. The total amount of income that mental health trusts received in 2016-17 was £11.829 billion, £105 million lower than in 2011-12 at today’s prices.

Nine trusts – Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, North West Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Solent NHS Trust, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – all saw their income fall for five years in a row over that period.

Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “It is totally unacceptable that when more and more people are coming forward with mental health problems, trusts are receiving less investment than they did, in some cases, seven years ago.

“Patients with mental illness continue to bear the brunt of an underfunded sector experiencing unprecedented demand with limited supply. Prioritisation of mental health is about getting the right care, at the right time, in the right place. This can’t happen when trusts continue to receive inadequate investment.”