NHS Confederation - Bold leadership vital to tackle major gap in mental health investment
26 Mar 2014 11:40 AM
As all parts of the health system look towards
the arrival of Simon Stevens at the helm of NHS England, providers of mental
health and learning disability services have said it is essential he does not
underestimate the need to focus on mental health.
The NHS Confederation's Mental
Health Network (MHN) is calling for Mr Stevens to demonstrate a
commitment to parity between mental and physical health.
The
call sits alongside the mental health sector’s continued challenge of unequal funding reductions for
acute hospitals and mental health services.
Parity of funding
At
its 2014
annual conference and exhibition today (26 March) – which
focuses on the future of mental health over the next 20 years – the
network says the Government’s pledge on parity of mental and physical
health must be matched with parity of funding.
The
network's latest publication, The future of mental health:
#MHN2014 – being launched at the conference –
says projections for a significant gap in investment are a major cause for
concern among members, and that bold leadership is vital to tackle
it.
Coherent plan
The
paper sets out challenges facing mental health and mental health services,
including demographic changes and economic challenges.
A coherent plan is essential if the sector is to
meet the future demands it will encounter, it says.
Innovation, technology and the future
workforce
The
discussion paper challenges providers of mental health and learning disability
services to be ready for the future by developing innovative new models of
care, making better use of technology to deliver more efficient services, and
developing a consensus on how the sector’s future workforce should
look.
‘Future-proof’
At
a keynote
session, the MHN’s senior team will lead members in exploring how to
‘future-proof’ high-quality cost-effective mental health services,
including a discussion on joining up care and considering what sort of
organisational model is best placed to deliver future
services.
Chief executive of the Mental Health Network, Stephen
Dalton, said: “Mental health services are at a tipping point. After
decades of transformational change and improving care within resources
available, it’s now time for the Government to play its part and
recognise the importance of mental health.”
Critical conversations
Delegates at the sold-out conference will also hear from
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb MP, and NHS England’s outgoing
chief executive Sir David Nicholson, in his last major engagement before
stepping down at the end of the month.
In
a separate session, chaired by NHS England’s national clinical director
for mental health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, delegates will look at ways of
improving emergency responses to mental health crises.
Dr
Strathdee will be joined by Commander Christine Jones, mental health lead at
the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and Lord Victor Adebowale,
chief executive at charity Turning Point, to discuss joined up responses for
people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Find out more
Find out more about the
conference and join the debate on Twitter #MHN2014
Download The future of mental health:
#MHN2014.
Discover more about the Mental
Health Network and its work to support members.