Review of the future funding of mental health services in England

We have conducted a major review of future funding of mental health services in England. This follows our review of social care for older people, published in 2006.

The year-long review estimates how much services will cost for people with mental health problems over the next 20 years. It also estimates the number of people affected by mental health issues from 2007 to 2026 and looks at the evidence about the cost impact of effective interventions.

The review was carried out in partnership with researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London and the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics. Former Natwest Group chief executive Sir Derek Wanless chaired the steering group overseeing the review.

The aims of the review were:
  • to estimate the number the of people in England with specific mental disorders over the 20-year period between 2007 and 2026
  • to examine the evidence on rates of treated prevalence in order to make projections of trends in contact rates over the same period
  • to define typical service packages for people with these disorders based on current service configurations, including impacts outside the NHS (for example on social care services, employers, education services, criminal justice services and the social security system)
  • to estimate the expenditure on these services over the 20-year period
  • to change key parameters in the model to take account of possible technological advances in mental health care treatment and provision
  • to discuss the policy implications of these predicted expenditure needs.

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