06 February 2009
By Tash Shifrin
Campaigners have warned that mental health patients face a 'postcode lottery' of care, as figures for primary care trust spending revealed huge variations across the country.
The figures for PCT spending on mental health in 2006/07 were published on January 29 by care minister Phil Hope in response to a parliamentary question from veteran Conservative MP David Davis.
They show that Islington, the highest spender, put £363 per head of population into mental health services – 3.7 times the amount spent by West Kent (£98 per head) at the other end of the spectrum. The average spending was £170 per head.
The figures also show substantial variation even between areas with similar social and demographic profiles.
Of the top ten highest spenders, nine are London PCTs, with the top four spending over £300 per head. But other London PCTs with similar populations – including Newham (£184) and Waltham Forest (£154) – spent far less.
Low spenders include the former mining area of Barnsley as well as rural Somerset.
Davis's constituency is covered by the second-lowest spender, East Riding of Yorkshire PCT, at £113 per head. He said: 'There is a real postcode lottery when it comes to mental health spending across the country. While demand will always vary in different areas, the fact that some areas are spending nearly four times as much per person as others on mental health services is unacceptable.'
Emily Wooster, policy and campaigns manager at mental health charity Mind, said spending variations led to widely differing services. 'In some areas, patients with depression can start counselling almost as soon as it is prescribed, whereas in others, people can face waiting times of over a year.'
Mental health services were 'an easy target' for spending squeezes, she added.
David Stout, director of the NHS Confederation's Primary Care Network, said a King's Fund study that adjusted mental health spending data for need had still shown wide variations. There were factors that could explain some of this, he said, citing Islington's large prison population.
But he added: 'Where [variation] is unexplained, it's important we find out why and do something about it. The data does not answer whether the right level of investment is going in... or what kind of outcomes you are getting.' PCTs should 'ask themselves these questions', he said.
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