Website of the Department of Health

The 2007/08 national survey of investment in mental health services

This is the sixth annual report presenting the results of the finance mapping exercise carried out as part of the autumn review process. It provides details of the level of  investment in adult mental health services in England  for  2007/08 and compares it with the reported  results in the five previous years.

The adult mental health analysis provides the following overall key findings: 

• Total investment increased from £5.163 billion in 2006/7 to £5.530 billion in 2007/8, which is a 7.1% increase in amount, and 3.7% in real terms.  
• In the last five years since 2002/03, total investment has increased by £1.276 billion which is 30% in real terms, from £4.253 billion to £5.530 billion in 2007/08. 
• There was a 2% rise between 2006/07 and 2007/08 in the services reported directly delivered by the non-statutory sector, whose market share is now 21%, balanced by 1% falls in the share of services delivered by both NHS and Local Authority providers. 
• The percentage of investment reported in direct services has again risen and stands at 81.4%. This is a part of a slight but steady improvement which has seen direct services rise by 6% from 75.4% in 2002/03. 
• Investment in the three priority areas (crisis resolution, early intervention and assertive outreach) has risen in real terms by 15% in the last year 2006/07 to 2007/08 
• All SHAs reported increased levels of investment with most reporting real term increases, after inflation, ranging from 2.3% and 12%. Two SHAs reported small decreases  in  real term investment. 
• London reported a small real term drop in investment since 2006/07 (-0.9%), but still spends the highest amount per weighted head (9.2% above the national average). 
• The amount invested per weighted head varies between SHAs, by between 9.2% above and 6.5% below the national average (£169) 
• Total investment in adult mental health services in 2007/08 was £5.530 billion, or £169 per head of weighted adult population (18-64).

• Download 2007/08 national survey of investment in mental health services (PDF, 1091K)