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Mental health service cuts are putting patients at risk, BMA told Mental health service cuts are putting patients at risk, BMA told
(35 minutes later)
Mental health services are in a "critical" state, with patients being put at risk by significant cuts, the British Medical Association's annual meeting was told. Mental health services are in a critical state, with patients being put at risk by significant cuts, the British Medical Association's annual meeting has been told.
In three years, mental health services in England have cut beds by 9%, delegates heard. One trust has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds putting patients up in bed and breakfast accommodation because no beds were available. In three years, mental health services in England have cut beds by 9%, delegates heard. One trust had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds putting patients up in bed and breakfast accommodation because no beds were available. Patients were being shipped to all corners of the country for beds, far from friends and families.
Patients were being shipped to all corners of the country for beds, far from friends and families.
Doctors were being forced to discharge patients as quickly as possible to free beds – putting patients at risk, the conference in Harrogate was told.Doctors were being forced to discharge patients as quickly as possible to free beds – putting patients at risk, the conference in Harrogate was told.
Dr Andrew Collier, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: "The services we provide are under increased stress.Dr Andrew Collier, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: "The services we provide are under increased stress.
"But at the very time people need support most, mental health services are being cut. Recent freedom of information requests have shown that since 2011 at least 1,700 mental health beds have been closed. That represents a 9% reduction in the number of available beds."But at the very time people need support most, mental health services are being cut. Recent freedom of information requests have shown that since 2011 at least 1,700 mental health beds have been closed. That represents a 9% reduction in the number of available beds.
"Time and again we're told that when beds are cut it's part of an overall strategy to invest in better, improved services but I'm beginning to think that's not the case."Time and again we're told that when beds are cut it's part of an overall strategy to invest in better, improved services but I'm beginning to think that's not the case.
"The situation is now so bad that a quarter of junior doctors working in psychiatry have been told that unless the patient is subject to the Mental Health Act, a bed won't be found.''"The situation is now so bad that a quarter of junior doctors working in psychiatry have been told that unless the patient is subject to the Mental Health Act, a bed won't be found.''
He said that patients often had to travel huge distances to find care. "One mental health trust has even spent £345,000 to put patients in bed and breakfast services simply because there are no beds.He said that patients often had to travel huge distances to find care. "One mental health trust has even spent £345,000 to put patients in bed and breakfast services simply because there are no beds.
"The constant fire-fighting due to the abysmal shortages we face has got to end. If the government is serious about achieving parity of esteem for mental health services these damaging cuts and closures must stop now.""The constant fire-fighting due to the abysmal shortages we face has got to end. If the government is serious about achieving parity of esteem for mental health services these damaging cuts and closures must stop now."
Dr Jason Holdcroft, psychiatry trainee, said he has seen "ever-growing" strain on services over the last four years. Dr Jason Holdcroft, a psychiatry trainee, said he had seen "ever-growing" strain on services over the last four years.
"Faced for much of the time with a chronic shortage of beds, community teams are forced to manage ever more unwell patients at home with dwindling resources."Faced for much of the time with a chronic shortage of beds, community teams are forced to manage ever more unwell patients at home with dwindling resources.
"In trying to free up beds more quickly there is pressure on in-patient teams to discharge patients as early as possible into the care of community mental health teams who may have lost their occupational therapist, their psychologist, and often a proportion of their nurses too."In trying to free up beds more quickly there is pressure on in-patient teams to discharge patients as early as possible into the care of community mental health teams who may have lost their occupational therapist, their psychologist, and often a proportion of their nurses too.
"The end result of all of this is sometimes tragedy – avoidable deaths and suicides where the system has not provided the care that patients need.""The end result of all of this is sometimes tragedy – avoidable deaths and suicides where the system has not provided the care that patients need."