Staff mental health support axed by NHSE

A dedicated mental health and addiction support service for secondary care staff is shutting to new patients, as NHS England is set to cut its funding.

The NHS Practitioner Health programme, which was rolled out nationally in October 2019, is halting new registrations for secondary care staff from 15 April.

NHS England has informed the provider its funding will be cut for secondary care staff, subject to a review it is carrying out of wider services. The Practitioner Health programme for GPs and dentists is expected to continue for another year, although its future beyond that is also unclear, HSJ was told.

An announcement published on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “New secondary care patients will be signposted to alternative sources of support, including your GP, occupational health departments and organisational employee assistance programmes.”

Its axing comes amid severe pressure on NHS budgets nationally and locally, with overall funding barely keeping up with anticipated inflation in 2024-25, and many integrated care systems forecasting large deficits.

Medical unions and senior doctors have criticised the axing of the service.

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Source: HSJ, 12 April 2024