Mental health funding going unspent because of lack of staff

Tim Ryley, one of city’s most senior health bosses, said the lack of numbers in the mental health workforce was the gravest concern facing the local NHS.

It means some programmes to help those who need treatment can’t be delivered, city councillors were told at a scrutiny meeting on Tuesday.

At the same time, the health service is having to spend big on agency staff to plug the gaps.

Asked about mental health provision in the city, Mr Ryley, who is Leeds’ place lead on the new West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said: “We can talk about resources and talk about money but the problem and the bigger challenge that we’re most nervous about in the NHS, and in social care, is the workforce.

“We can’t actually spend the money sometimes. Or it’s very, very expensive because it’s agency (staff we have to use).”

Mr Ryley said the biggest challenge facing the local health service was a “combination” of money and the lack of staff.

He added: “We could have all the money in the world and not have the workforce. Or we could have all the workforce we wanted and be a bit tight on money.

“The two together are clearly our biggest risks in the system currently.”

In a stark warning, Mr Ryley suggested funding across the city’s NHS is likely to plummet in real terms next year and that bosses would have to “prioritise” even further.

It follows the announcement of more public spending cuts by the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, this week.

The government is trying to find around £32bn worth of savings after U-turning on almost every aspect of the mini-budget it unveiled last month.

Mr Hunt has refused to rule out further NHS cutbacks, despite repeated warnings about the health service being overwhelmed with pressure in recent years.

Mr Ryley told councillors: “Local authorities have been through years of an unbelievably challenging financial position. The NHS hasn’t done as badly, but it hasn’t done brilliantly.

“From every observation we can make of the current position, we’re expecting that to get much worse next year.”