LETTER: Mental health spending ‘not value for money’

Despite being paid 18% more than average for its services by local PCTs, it is only providing an average service. This over funding by PCTs equates to a surplus £25m. a year, based on its budget of about £175m.

It was also apparent from the report that Lancashire Care Foundation Trust intends to reduce the number of in-patient hospital sites, serving Lancashire, Blackburn and Blackpool, from 15 to two. One of the hospitals is being built at Blackpool and it is likely the other will be at Burnley, so the hospitals will not be easily accessible for most of Lancashire’s population. This will place a huge and unacceptable time and cost burden on patients, carers and families at a time of crisis, especially the frail elderly, who are most likely to be dependent on public transport.

In 2007, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust was given conditional approval to reduce the number of in-patient sites from 15 to three, which later increased to four, when it took over responsibility for mental health services in Lancaster and Morecambe.

Although proposals for significant changes like this should go through public consultation, it would appear Lancashire Care Foundation Trust and the PCTs are trying to bypass the process.

The report also highlighted 45% of those calling Lancashire Care Foundation Trust’s out-of-hours number did not receive the help they needed. Yet the Trust still intends to close its Preston hospital this month.

So how is the Trust using the extra money? Examples include:

• Its intention to discard Blackburn in-patient unit opened in 2002, on the grounds it is not fit for purpose;

• The third-highest staff sickness absence rate in the county – 27% above the average for mental health trusts. This cost about £10m. in lost staff time in the last financial year;

• Employing a consultancy firm to manage its negative media coverage in addition to its internal team of spin doctors;

• Using Stanley House, a luxury hotel at Mellor, for senior management away days.

It is clear the Government needs to take urgent steps to prevent primary care trusts and strategic health authorities from causing long-term damage to health services during their exit period.

ROSEMARY AND PETER ANDREWS