Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investment in mental health services through the Better Care Fund on pressures in the healthcare system, and in particular on accident and emergency services.

Health and Wellbeing Boards have developed plans for implementing the Better Care Fund which will provide a joint approach to the planning and delivery of health and social care services to the most at risk members of their population, including those with mental health needs.

The plans submitted in September were subject to a robust assurance process, and make provision for the pooling of £5.3 billion to achieve this aim. Included within this is planned investment of £317 million in mental health services.

A particular focus of the Better Care Fund is to reduce the number of unplanned, emergency admissions to hospital which will address pressures on the health and social care systems and result in better experience and outcomes for people.

Better Care Fund plans will not start to be implemented until 1 April 2015. However we already know that the local plans set out approaches to provide more care in the community and in people’s homes, with more responsive, proactive services, and reducing the need to go to hospital, including for those with mental health needs.

The Better Care Fund will be subject to a rigorous evaluation that will include the impact on particular patient groups (e.g. mental health) and the role of the Better Care Fund in reducing pressures within the health care system, such as accident and emergency.