Commenting on the King's
Fund report on Mental Health and Productivity published today
(2 December 2010), Professor Dinesh Bhugra, President of the Royal
College of Psychiatrists, said:
"Given the link between the UK’s economic
wealth and mental health, the RCPsych opposes harmful or
disproportionate cuts to mental health services. However, we all
know that NHS services now need to do more work for less money. To
achieve this, we must use clinicians’ time and expertise in a much
more efficient manner. For example, quickly establishing what
is wrong with a patient is key to delivering good and efficient
care. Consequently, drawing on the expertise of highly-skilled
staff like psychiatrists early on could result in patients being
directed to the care they need more quickly, efficiently, and
without repeat assessments. This is incredibly important where
patients present with complex needs, or where they are experiencing
a crisis.
“We do, however, have to exercise caution in
making sure that change is necessary and proportionate. For
example, while we welcome better community services for all,
shortages in inpatient hospital beds for people with serious mental
health problems continue to be reported. This is a real
concern. If people do not receive the inpatient care they may need,
this can lead to a further deterioration of health. We need to
recognise that different patients will need different forms of
care, of which community and inpatient services are both important
parts. Consequently, with thoughtful and careful investment,
we can transform individual lives and save the NHS money. This is
not about needlessly rebuilding the NHS, but about rethinking
aspects of its practice. Where such change is necessary and
possible, this needs to happen.”
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
Note to editors:
Mental health and the productivity challenge: Improving quality and value for money was published on 2 December by The King’s Fund and Centre for Mental Health. It can be downloaded at www.kingsfund.org.uk/mentalhealth