‘Rising tide’ in demand for mental health services

NHS Confederation has warned that people requiring support and treatment for their mental health are at risk of not getting the care they need and their conditions deteriorating due to increased demand brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and constraints in what services can deliver.

In a new report, the NHS Confederation highlights how providers of mental healthcare moved quickly and responded effectively to protect patients and adapt their services at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, predominant while public and political attention was focused largely on how acute hospitals would be able to cope with the admissions due to the virus.

During its peak, providers saw a 30-40 per cent average reduction in referrals for mental health support but this was only temporary, with some providers now reporting the number of patients that they are treating is higher than pre-pandemic levels. This is expected to rise sharply due to the backlog and because of the broader impact that the pandemic is having on the population’s mental well-being.

However, while the peak of coronavirus has largely passed in England and efforts continue to contain localised outbreaks, health leaders have warned that the peak in demand for mental healthcare in England is yet to come and that the sector needs intensive support and investment to be ready to manage it.

Some providers are predicting a 20 per cent increase across all of their mental health services, while also facing a 10-30 per cent reduction in how many patients they can care for at once because of the required infection control and social distancing measures.

The NHS Confederation is calling for members to be supported nationally to understand how demand for mental health services will vary from area to area as the pandemic continues and for appropriate financial and staffing resources to be allocated. Building on how local organisations have worked together so far, integrated care systems should also help lead these efforts. The body is calling for a national recruitment campaign focused specifically on attracting people into mental healthcare roles, and for increased funding for mental healthcare, including capital investment to support the expansion of digital approaches and to modernise physical estates.

Sean Duggan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, said: “Although being away from the political spotlight, mental health services across the country have faced unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus which they have responded to remarkably by innovating and moving to different ways of working to protect their patients and staff. But we must not be fooled into thinking that the worst is behind us. There is a rising tide in demand for NHS-funded mental healthcare associated with the pandemic, which we expect to remain high for some time and will be felt long after the physical health crisis across acute and community care subsides.

“Providers are facing this with reduced capacity across their services, with significant funding constraints, and with a workforce that is close to burnout due to vacancy levels and the pressures placed upon them. If these issues are not addressed, it could overwhelm services and lead to people having to wait longer for mental health support and their conditions deteriorating. Above all else, the Chancellor must stay true to his promise and give the NHS whatever it needs and for mental healthcare services, that means recognising that the crisis is far from over.”

The Centre for Mental Health has estimated that an additional 500,000 people will require support for their mental health in the next two years.

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “People’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of the next phase of the pandemic. This includes schools reopening, workers returning from furlough, people who have been shielding, and in dealing with the economic and housing consequences of coronavirus, as well as planning for possible further spikes in infections.

“We need a new national focus on helping everyone stay mentally well, including those affected by Covid-19, backed-up by funding for councils to spend with local partners such as the voluntary and community sector, on meeting their communities’ mental well-being needs. This should include a shift in focus and funding away from treating mental ill-health and towards a locally-led approach to promoting people’s mental well-being throughout their lives, to help prevent more serious problems from developing, alongside earlier intervention and targeted support for those who need it.”