Funding for Mental Health Services
Nearly £10.3 billion will be available overall for health in Scotland in 2007-08, an increase of £748m on last year. The Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) to local authorities for social work will also have increased by 10% in 2005-06 to £2.085 billion in 2007-08.
The Scottish Executive does not provide NHS Boards or local authorities with a separate budget specifically for mental health services, and therefore spend by NHS Boards and local authorities on mental health services will be drawn from these record funds.
· The latest information on actual spend from the agencies shows NHS Boards and local authorities spent £660.9m (excluding Resource Transfer) and £84.7m (including Resource Transfer) respectively in 2005-06 (£745.6m total).
Spend is not the only indicator or route to better mental health services. Better work practices, better joint working and better and improved access to care all have their place.
Mental Health Act - Implementation and Delivery
There was additional investment of £59.485m between 2003-07 to help NHS Boards and local authorities implement and deliver the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. A further £18m is to be made available in 2007-08 (£5m through NHS Boards; and continuing recognition of £13m through local authority GAE).
Partnership Resources
Together with the record resources available to NHS Boards £15.785m of additional funding has been allocated between 2003-04 and 2006-07 and a further £5m will be available in 2007-08.
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
(£m) | 0.950 | 4.755 | 5.080 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
These additional resources, available since 2003-04, were allocated through NHS Boards but it is open to local and regional partners to discuss and agree how this should be spent according to local needs, priorities and circumstances.
Local Authority Resources
Together with the record resources available to local authorities, additional recognition within local authority GAE for implementing the new Mental Health Act was announced as part of the 2003-06 Local Government Finance Community Care Settlement on 16 January 2003. This confirmed £26.7m revenue and £4m capital funding for local authorities to 2005-06.
From 2006-07 £13m per year will continue to be recognised within overall GAE provision.
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
(£m) Revenue | 1.2 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
(£m) Capital | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
It is for each local authority, in consultation with their partners, to determine how best to use the resources available to them, according to local needs and circumstances.