Press release

Dramatic increase in mental health staff needed

Dramatic increase in mental health staff needed, says Sean Duggan in response to BMA’s Measuring Progress report.

8 January 2021

Responding to the BMA’s report Measuring progress: Commitments to support and expand the mental health workforce in England, Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Mental Health Network, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said dramatic increase in mental health staff needed.

Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Mental Health Network, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said:

This report highlights the challenges faced by staff who work extremely hard and need more support to provide the best care. Mental health and learning disabilities have some of the highest vacancy rates across the system.

“Successful implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan will require a dramatic increase in the number of people who work in mental health and the upcoming NHS People Plan is an opportunity to make this happen.

“A long-term capital funding settlement for the sector would also improve the environment that staff work in, encouraging more people to work in mental health and to retain the brilliant staff we already have.”

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