Mental health care cuts in England 'to total £4.5m'

[Northerner]

Mental health spending is being cut by £4.5m in five English regions this year, new figures indicate.

The largest cut, of £1.9m or 3.6% , will be made in Walsall, in the West Midlands, Pulse magazine data shows.

Two Merseyside clinical commissioning groups (CCG) in Sefton and St Helens as well as Isle of Wight and Scarborough, North Yorkshire are also facing cuts.

But data, from 127 CCGs in a freedom of information request, shows overall spending will rise by 4.15% in 2017/18.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-39702976

Is this what they mean by 'parity' of mental health - cut it like you cut funding for physical health?

 

[grovesy]

There was a feature on East of England news saying that there was not going to be an increase of Mental health beds the east of England . i was saying to my other half this is the result of a policy that started in the 70/80's to put care in the community. At the same it was decided that bigger hospitals were better in General health too, resulting in closures of smaller and community hosptials.

 

[mikeyB]

Spot on, grovesy, mental health services have gradually withered since the pernicious 'care in the community' ethos came in. There was never enough support for patients in the community. And now it becomes a postcode lottery with different CCGs having different attitudes.😡