GHP Aug 2017

16 GHP / August 2017 , The government committed £1.3 billion to transform mental health services, with a pledge to: • Treat an extra one million patients by 2020 to 2021; • Provide services seven days a week, 24 hours a day and; • Integrate mental and physical health services for the first time. The plan has been developed by Health Education England (HEE) together with NHS Improvement, NHS England, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other key mental health experts. It shows how the health service will dramatically increase the number of trained nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, peer support workers and other mental health professionals to deliver on this commitment and tackle the ‘burning injustice’ of mental illness and inadequate treatment. 1707GH02 Thousands of New Roles to Be Created in Mental Health Workforce Plan Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 31st July, launched a plan to expand the mental health workforce. The plan sets out measures to tackle the ‘historic imbalance’ inworkforce capacity and fulfil ambitions to improve mental health services. By 2020 to 2021, local areas will need to create 21,000 new posts in priority growth areas to deliver the improvements in services and support set out in the NHS’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “We want people with mental health conditions to receive better treatment, and part of that means having the right NHS staff. We know we need to do much more to attract, retain and support the mental health workforce of the future. This is the first step to address this historic imbalance in workforce planning. “As we embark on one of the biggest expansions of mental health services in Europe it is crucial we have the right people in post – that’s why we’re supporting those already in the profession to stay and giving incentives to those considering a career in mental health. “These measures are ambitious but essential for delivering the high performing and well- resourced mental health services we all want to see.” All major specialisms will see an expansion in numbers, with the plan targeting areas where there are forecast to be shortfalls, as demand on services increases. It concludes that there should be: • 2,000 additional nurses, consultants and therapist posts created in child and adolescent mental health services; • 2,900 additional therapists and other allied health professionals supporting expanded access to adult talking therapies and; • 4,800 additional posts for nurses and therapists working in crisis care settings, with most these (4,600) being nursing positions. Perinatal mental health support, liaison and diversion teams and early intervention teams working with people at risk of psychosis should also see significant increases. Among the groups expected to grow most in the planned expansion are: • Professionals working in child and adolescent mental health services; • Therapists delivering expanded access to adult talking therapies and; • Nurses working in crisis care settings. • It will be funded in part by the UK government’s commitment to an extra £1 billion for mental health services by 2020 to 2021. • To achieve this, the measures set out in the plan include: • Improvements in how employers retain their existing mental health staff, including targeted support for 20 Trusts with the highest rates of clinical staff exits - alongside a national retention programme to be run by NHS Employers and