Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of acute adult psychiatric beds for patients.

Nicola Blackwood

The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Commission on Adult Psychiatric Care – “Old Problems, New Solutions” highlighted a need to develop effective alternatives to inpatient care, rather than to increase the number of acute psychiatric beds.

We are investing over £400 million up to 2020 in crisis resolution and home treatment teams as a safe alternative to hospital. We invested £33 million in 2014/15 in early intervention in psychosis services and we have introduced waiting times for mental health to improve timely access to treatment, starting with psychological therapies and early intervention in psychosis.

However, we are clear that increasing effective alternatives must also ensure that a mental health bed is always available if someone needs it.