Briefing / Funding mental health at local level: unpicking the variation

Mental health service providers have raised concerns about the level of funding being allocated to mental health services to deliver the government’s ambitions for parity of esteem between physical and mental health services.

All CCGs taking part in the survey said they had signed up to parity of esteem and had increased real term investment in mental health services in line with the planning guidance requirement.

The report highlights a ‘disjoint’ about whether the investment requirement is being met, lack of clarity as to what expenditure is counted as mental health spend and that more investment is needed than the £1billion highlighted by the Mental Health Taskforce report.