The latest NHS performance data* shows 84,375 people in England attended emergency departments with mental health concerns over the past two months and more than 7,000 waited more than 24 hours.
In response, Rebekah Cresswell, Chief Executive of Priory, said: “The latest NHS data on mental health patients waiting over 24 hours in emergency departments is deeply concerning. Most significantly, it is a symptom of a wider, systemic issue across the whole mental health pathway – not just at the point of crisis.
“We want to highlight this because behind every long wait is a vulnerable person at one of the most difficult moments in their life and we must do better as a system and as a country to tackle this problem.
“People are becoming stuck in A&E because there a lack of alternatives available to them and too few NHS mental health beds. At the same time, NHS services more broadly are struggling with patients who cannot be discharged due to limited community and residential services.
This lack of flow within the system creates blockages that leave people in crisis waiting far too long for help.
“Independent and voluntary sector providers already play a significant role in supporting NHS physical health services and there is no reason mental health should be treated differently.
“We know there are beds in the independent sector and providers can offer practical solutions at both the crisis point – such as bed capacity – and, just as importantly, across the wider pathway.
“Adult social care services with strong mental health expertise can provide safe, effective alternatives to admission, support recovery and enable people to move more smoothly out of acute care.
“This new data released by NHS England is therefore a very powerful metric as it reveals a crisis capacity problem and a system-wide issue that spans prevention, crisis response and post-acute support.
“To fix this we need an integrated approach that brings together the NHS, independent providers and the voluntary sector – just as we already do successfully in physical health. The government’s commitment to rollout mental health emergency departments is a positive development, but that alone – and the time it will take – will not solve the systemic problem.
“All partners in the system have something valuable to contribute, and a more collaborative model is essential if we are to reduce waits, improve flow and ensure people in crisis receive the timely, compassionate care they deserve.”
Priory is the largest independent provider of mental health, addiction and working-age adult social care services in the UK. Visit www.priorygroup.com for more information.
*The latest data is available at: