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| Mental health staff recruitment plan for England | Mental health staff recruitment plan for England |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thousands more mental health workers are to be recruited by the NHS in England, the health secretary has said. | Thousands more mental health workers are to be recruited by the NHS in England, the health secretary has said. |
| Jeremy Hunt said it was time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental and physical health services. | Jeremy Hunt said it was time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental and physical health services. |
| The aim is to recruit enough nurses, therapists and consultants to treat an extra one million patients by 2020-21. | The aim is to recruit enough nurses, therapists and consultants to treat an extra one million patients by 2020-21. |
| But the Royal College of Nursing said the plans did not add up, and more "hard cash" would be needed if the new staff were to be trained in time. | But the Royal College of Nursing said the plans did not add up, and more "hard cash" would be needed if the new staff were to be trained in time. |
| The government said an extra £1bn already promised for mental health services in England would fund the scheme - part of a pot of £1.3bn committed in 2016 to transform provision. | The government said an extra £1bn already promised for mental health services in England would fund the scheme - part of a pot of £1.3bn committed in 2016 to transform provision. |
| Crisis care | Crisis care |
| These plans set out how some of that money will be spent - mostly on recruiting staff, with the main focus being on child and adolescent mental health services, therapists delivering talking therapies for adults and nurses working in crisis care. | These plans set out how some of that money will be spent - mostly on recruiting staff, with the main focus being on child and adolescent mental health services, therapists delivering talking therapies for adults and nurses working in crisis care. |
| The plans also include improving staff training, encouraging those who have left the profession to return, and addressing a high dropout rate among trainees. | The plans also include improving staff training, encouraging those who have left the profession to return, and addressing a high dropout rate among trainees. |
| The plans include: | The plans include: |
| But data published last week showed that even before this latest recruitment drive, many thousands of nursing posts remain unfilled. | But data published last week showed that even before this latest recruitment drive, many thousands of nursing posts remain unfilled. |
| Mr Hunt said: "We want people with mental health conditions to receive better treatment, and part of that means having the right NHS staff. | Mr Hunt said: "We want people with mental health conditions to receive better treatment, and part of that means having the right NHS staff. |
| "We know we need to do much more to attract, retain and support the mental health workforce of the future - today is the first step to address this historic imbalance in workforce planning." | "We know we need to do much more to attract, retain and support the mental health workforce of the future - today is the first step to address this historic imbalance in workforce planning." |
| Mr Hunt said the measures were "ambitious" and amounted to "one of the biggest expansions of mental health services in Europe". | Mr Hunt said the measures were "ambitious" and amounted to "one of the biggest expansions of mental health services in Europe". |
| However, Labour's shadow minister for mental health, Barbara Keeley, said the government was "promising only jam tomorrow, when what is needed is action today". | However, Labour's shadow minister for mental health, Barbara Keeley, said the government was "promising only jam tomorrow, when what is needed is action today". |
| "The workforce plan provides no real answers on how these new posts will be funded or how recruitment issues will be overcome," she added. | "The workforce plan provides no real answers on how these new posts will be funded or how recruitment issues will be overcome," she added. |
| "And it offers little hope to those working in the sector faced with mounting workloads, low pay and poor morale." | "And it offers little hope to those working in the sector faced with mounting workloads, low pay and poor morale." |
| Claire Murdoch, national mental health director at NHS England, said the plan was not just about numbers. | Claire Murdoch, national mental health director at NHS England, said the plan was not just about numbers. |
| "It's about having a motivated and skilled workforce in place to deliver the work we need to do." | "It's about having a motivated and skilled workforce in place to deliver the work we need to do." |
| 'Lack of detail' | 'Lack of detail' |
| Prof Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said 570 extra consultants had been promised in the plans. | Prof Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said 570 extra consultants had been promised in the plans. |
| "You would expect to see a consultant if you had cancer and the same applies for mental health. | "You would expect to see a consultant if you had cancer and the same applies for mental health. |
| "The biggest challenge to creating robust mental health services is the workforce. I am very supportive of this strategy which starts to tackle that problem." | "The biggest challenge to creating robust mental health services is the workforce. I am very supportive of this strategy which starts to tackle that problem." |
| But Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "There is already a dangerous lack of workforce planning and accountability and this report is unable to provide detail on how the ambitions will be met. | But Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "There is already a dangerous lack of workforce planning and accountability and this report is unable to provide detail on how the ambitions will be met. |
| "It is clear the government will need to work hard just to get back to the number of specialist staff working in mental health services in 2010. | "It is clear the government will need to work hard just to get back to the number of specialist staff working in mental health services in 2010. |
| "Under this government, there are 5,000 fewer mental health nurses and that goes some way to explaining why patients are being failed." | "Under this government, there are 5,000 fewer mental health nurses and that goes some way to explaining why patients are being failed." |