Clinical commissioning groups have been told by NHS England to increase in real terms the amount of money they spend on mental health services as part of the 2015-16 planning guidance.

The document, published by NHS England today, also makes clear CCGs must raise their mental health spending to at least the level of their individual allocations.

NHS England is demanding the rise to help fund the parity of esteem agenda and the move towards new access standards for mental health services from next April.

The document says the mandate from the government was “broadly stable” except for the new targets on mental health waiting times.

It said: “These form part of our wider ambition to achieve a genuine parity of esteem between mental and physical health by 2020. To support that ambition, we expect each CCG’s spending on mental health services in 2015-16 to increase in real terms, and grow by at least as much as each CCG’s allocation increase.”

Rebecca Cotton, policy director for the Mental Health Network, said: “We welcome this very clear steer from NHS England to CCGs today. It is absolutely vital that we see a real terms increase in investment in mental health services next year if we’re to make a positive step in the right direction.“

The new mental health standards include:

  • more than 50 per cent of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis should receive treatment within two weeks by April 2016;
  • at least 75 per cent of adults should have their first talking therapy treatment within six weeks of referral, with a minimum of 95 per cent treated within 18 weeks; and
  • commissioners will also be required to draw up service delivery plans with acute providers to ensure “adequate and effective” liaison psychiatry services following a £30m investment.

Further planning guidance coverage to follow

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Unrealistic better care fund targets must be revised, says NHS England