Mind: Mental health bears brunt of NHS cuts

Wednesday, 09, Aug 2006 12:00

Mental health care is "severely lacking" and NHS cuts mean that people with psychological problems are denied treatment, charity Mind has warned.

Policy director Sophie Corlett said she hoped the research by the King's Fund, which finds "stark differences" in the amount of money spent by primary care trusts (PCTs) on different diseases, would "help us understand why there are such variations in mental health services around the country".

She added: "We know that in many areas primary care mental health services are severely lacking. For example, waiting lists for psychological therapies – the recommended treatment for depression, anxiety, and many other mental health problems – are frequently months or even years long.

"Under-funding mental health is a false economy – the sooner you can help someone with a mental health problem, the easier and less costly it is to resolve. We're also concerned that mental health services are bearing the brunt of the recent cuts in NHS budgets."