• New data shows more than a fifth of commissioners are not raising mental health funding as much as directed by NHS leaders
  • 46 of the 209 CCGs have failed to achieve the “parity of esteem” mental health budget increase
  • Eight CCGs have cut planned mental health spending over the same period
  • The new data was published as part of NHS England’s new mental health dashboard

More than a fifth of commissioners are failing to raise mental health spending by as much as directed by NHS leaders, with eight actually reporting cutting their budgets, HSJ can reveal.

New figures analysed by HSJ show 46 of the country’s 209 clinical commissioning groups have failed to raise their mental health budgets from 2015-16 to 2016-17 by the same percentage as their overall allocation increase.

Increasing mental health spending at least in line with CCGs’ overall budgets is NHS England’s key measure for assessing whether commissioners are upholding the policy of “parity of esteem” for mental and physical health.

The new figures, published by NHS England, also reveal that eight CCGs have cut their planned mental health funding in cash terms this year (see CCGs in bold in the table below).

Nationally 163 commissioners achieved the “parity of esteem” measure, also known as the mental health investment standard.

The figures are part of NHS England’s new mental health dashboard, which was published last week to show how commissioners fare against a set of finance and performance indicators.

NHS Confederation chief executive Stephen Dalton said in July that making sure the money pledged in the sector’s implementation plan reached the front line would be the “acid test” for the plans.

But Mr Dalton, previous chief executive of the Mental Health Network, said the new dashboard data posed questions about regional variation in services, quality and finances which needed to be addressed.

He added: “Nobody is claiming, at this stage, that this is a perfect science, so it’s important we do not allow our serious and justified concerns about funding to spill over into excessive scepticism about this important project.”

The new dashboard forms part of the national implementation plan for mental health, which pledged nearly £4bn for the sector over the next five years and sets out how CCGs are performing against a number of performance and financial targets.

The 2017-19 planning guidance, published in September, said commissioners and providers must hit access and quality standards and increase baseline spend on mental health.

NHS England has sent out guidance to commissioners and providers to help meet the implementation plans and also has an “intensive support team” going out to work with organisations to help them improve.

NHS England national mental health director Claire Murdoch told HSJ that even if CCGs are hitting their targets she still wants them to continue to increase mental health investment in line with the increase in their baseline allocations.

She stressed that CCGs could not choose which services to provide and which not to and added: “Even if you’re hitting all your targets we are saying put the additional money in anyway.

“The mental health investment standard isn’t pick and mix. This is the beginning, not the end, of a major sweep of improvements.

“This is an agenda for the whole system, it’s not a campaign for parity, it’s for improving quality and providing modern treatment which is evidence based.”

CCG responses

South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG said its mental health spending had been reduced due to a ”one-off investment” being made within 2015-16, while Warwickshire North CCG said that the reduction was a mistake due to its spend in 2014-15 being overstated by £2.5, which had now been corrected.

A spokesman for Warwickshire North CCG added: “The total spend on mental health conditions in 2015-16 was £33.78m which includes specialist mental health providers, prescribing and community services.

”However, CCG spend in 2014-15 has been overstated by £2.5m and this is reflected in the CCG’s restated accounts for 2015-16. Taking this into consideration, the CCG has actually met its parity of esteem target for 2016-17.”

The CCGs not achieving parity of esteem

CCG2015-16 planned spend as a proportion of allocation2016-17 planned spend as a proportion of allocationMental health outrun 2015-16 (000)Mental health planned spend 2016-17 (000)Cash difference 2015-17 to 2016-17 (000)Parity of esteem
North Tyneside CCG 14.81% 14.15% £44,607 £41,412 -£3,194 No
Walsall CCG 15.45% 14.86% £58,732 £57,020 -£1,712 No
South East Staffs and Seisdon and Peninsular CCG 10.16% 9.66% £22,553 £20,976 -£1,577 No
Warwickshire North CCG 15.21% 15.03% £34,763 £33,690 -£1,073 No
Vale of York CCG 10.65% 11.60% £46,662 £45,861 -£801 No
Central London (Westminster) CCG 18.28% 19.43% £55,027 £54,431 -£597 No
Ealing CCG 13.49% 12.84% £63,560 £63,103 -£457 No
Shropshire CCG 9.22% 10.41% £38,850 £38,784 -£66 No
Herefordshire CCG 15.93% 15.91% £36,400 £36,484 £84 No
Richmond CCG 12.17% 12.43% £28,514 £28,626 £112 No
Stafford and Surrounds CCG 9.86% 10.28% £14,839 £14,958 £119 No
South Devon and Torbay CCG 8.28% 8.30% £33,357 £33,498 £141 No
Basildon and Brentwood CCG 12.30% 12.08% £39,450 £39,663 £213 No
Redbridge CCG 8.99% 9.71% £32,984 £33,242 £258 No
South Sefton CCG 10.29% 10.24% £24,629 £24,902 £273 No
West Cheshire CCG 6.97% 7.13% £23,473 £23,756 £283 No
Bassetlaw CCG 13.12% 13.18% £20,794 £21,082 £288 No
East Staffordshire CCG 13.60% 13.38% £19,983 £20,280 £297 No
Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG 10.82% 10.85% £20,207 £20,533 £326 No
Cannock Chase CCG 9.65% 10.18% £14,165 £14,525 £360 No
Vale Royal CCG 12.78% 13.06% £16,767 £17,159 £392 No
Scarborough and Ryedale CCG 10.83% 11.91% £18,941 £19,348 £407 No
North Somerset CCG 9.44% 9.63% £24,783 £25,212 £429 No
Southport and Formby CCG 11.50% 11.60% £20,561 £21,001 £440 No
South Cheshire CCG 10.18% 10.19% £22,361 £22,858 £497 No
Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG 10.03% 10.09% £30,958 £31,505 £547 No
South Lincolnshire CCG 10.85% 12.00% £23,996 £24,559 £563 No
East Surrey CCG 12.88% 13.29% £24,442 £25,026 £584 No
Castle Point, Rayleigh and Rochford CCG 8.99% 9.72% £21,930 £22,705 £775 No
Oxfordshire CCG 10.33% 9.78% £72,777 £73,577 £800 No
Solihull CCG 17.26% 17.18% £50,159 £50,975 £816 No
Greenwich CCG 14.45% 14.58% £52,799 £53,739 £940 No
Bedfordshire CCG 16.05% 15.37% £72,209 £73,289 £1,080 No
Lincolnshire East CCG 12.38% 13.74% £45,961 £47,053 £1,092 No
Bexley CCG 9.91% 9.94% £28,481 £29,669 £1,188 No
Stoke on Trent CCG 13.43% 13.46% £50,671 £51,895 £1,224 No
Kernow CCG 16.64% 16.95% £121,814 £123,041 £1,227 No
North East Essex CCG 11.15% 11.18% £49,710 £51,214 £1,504 No
Sheffield CCG 18.03% 18.11% £135,207 £137,088 £1,881 No
Luton CCG 14.99% 15.00% £34,392 £36,447 £2,055 No
West Essex CCG 11.27% 11.18% £40,538 £42,659 £2,121 No
Dorset CCG 15.57% 15.45% £160,173 £162,334 £2,161 No
Southampton CityCCG 14.12% 14.15% £43,607 £45,879 £2,272 No
Coventry and Rugby CCG 15.68% 15.84% £91,635 £94,139 £2,504 No
Birmingham CrossCity CCG 13.45% 14.59% £133,031 £135,820 £2,789 No
North, East, West Devon CCG 16.95% 17.47% £184,251 £187,706 £3,455 No