4,447 patients sent out of their area for treatment in 2014-15 – up 23.1% from 2013-14
“I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t have a clue. I knew I was a long, long way from home as it had taken so long to get there but I didn’t know where in the country I was.”
The trusts with the biggest increases in patients treated out of area from 2013-14 to 2014-15 were:
- Avon and Wiltshire: 162 to 446
- Camden and Islington: 154 to 338
- Norfolk and Suffolk: 112 to 270
- Southern Health: 171 to 372
Previous research by BBC News and Community Care found that more than 2,100 psychiatric beds have been closed in England since 2011.
Dr Martin McShane, NHS England’s director for people with long term conditions, said the Mental Health Taskforce had been set up to improve mental health services over the next five years.
He added: “We are determined to improve mental health services and address the distress and unwarranted costs associated with out-of-area placements which are unacceptable.”
This after the opaque and unaccountable NHS England ignored parity of esteem and cut mental health by more than physical health, failed to stop the crisis for years and oversaw the closure of more than 2,000 beds. The CCGs in Norfolk said out of area placements were unacceptable and gave themselves a deadline of April 2014 to end the inhumane transportation of people in crisis across the country. But the CCGs couldn’t be bothered to keep their pledge and the crisis became even worse. The NHS Blame Game goes on and the NHS continues to fail those in crisis.
Read Michael Buchanan’s full article on the BBC News website by clicking on the image below:
