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Unfathomable Cuts Threaten Mental Health Care
3 Aug
Summary
- ELFT plans to cut £25m and 330 jobs from mental health services.
- Service closures include child, adolescent, and addiction support.
- Critics warn of longer waits, destroyed lives, and forced private care.
An NHS mental health trust in east London and Bedfordshire is proposing significant service cuts and job losses to bridge a £25 million financial shortfall. The East London foundation trust (ELFT) plans to eliminate approximately 330 of its 6,000 staff positions. These cuts will affect at least 10 key services, encompassing child and adolescent mental health care, talking therapies, addiction support, and community programs.
Concerns have been raised that these reductions will lead to increased waiting times for essential psychological treatments. Critics, including trade union Unite and Labour MP Apsana Begum, have condemned the planned cuts as 'unfathomable and unacceptable.' They warn that such measures could lead to lives being destroyed and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities and low-income individuals.
The trust stated that these are indicative savings proposals at an early stage and no cuts will be implemented without a quality impact assessment. ELFT aims to live within its means to ensure continued high-quality care, working with unions and partners to achieve necessary efficiencies while protecting patient safety.
