Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
HC 248
Published 18 May 2023
Government response
Seventh Special Report - Rural Mental Health: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourth Report · published 3 Nov 2023
Recommendations & Conclusions
20
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 143
Provide detailed statement on NHS funding allocation formula for rural mental health needs.
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s commitment to provide more funding for mental health and to ensure local mental health spending increases by the same proportion as overall increases in local health funding. Despite this, we are concerned by the possibility that …
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Government Response Summary
The government described how NHS England's weighted capitation formula for Integrated Care Systems already accounts for rural area costs, by factoring in population age, supply-induced demand, distance of services, and ambulance response times. However, it did not provide the detailed statement of the process and formula requested for independent assurance.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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30
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 186
Require Government to detail rural proofing, funding, transport, and digital health access plans.
Recommendation
We recommend that: a) the Government set out how rural proofing has been applied to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill; and work with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to rural proof the Levelling-Up metrics to ensure progress in rural …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it already has extensive rural-proofing mechanisms and publishes annual reports, and describes existing digital therapy options. The Department for Transport will publish its Future of Transport Rural Strategy soon and will look for opportunities to work with other departments, but there is no specific response to setting out the geographical distribution of projected funding or issuing a call for evidence on digital access.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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