Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Deferred
Eating disorder waiting time standards unmet, while mental health standards remain too limited
Conclusion
We are concerned about the NHS still not meeting the eating disorder service standards, and how long young people suffering from eating disorders have to wait for treatment. NHSE explained to us that this is because it took time for the NHS to develop the services including infrastructure and workforce, which were not in place before the standards were introduced. The situation was further complicated by a surge in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.26 We are also concerned that performance measures for the current standards may not fully reflect the experiences of people using the services and patient outcomes. In addition, unlike for physical health services, waiting time standards for mental health service only cover a limited number of service areas, and do not apply to the bulk of core community and inpatient mental health services.27
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges existing waiting time standards for specific services and states its aim to publish data for mental health community waiting times by the end of the financial year. After collecting robust baseline data, work will begin to analyze and consider appropriate performance standards, with an update in January 2024.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: January 2024 5.2 Waiting time standards already exist within Mental Health services; specifically for CYP Eating Disorder Services (95% of CYP with eating disorders accessing treatment within 1 week for urgent cases and 4 weeks for routine cases) as well as NHS Talking Therapies services (75% of people accessing treatment within 6 weeks and 95% of people accessing treatment within 18 weeks), as detailed in the Mental Health Implementation Plan. 5.3 Over the course of the Clinical Review of Standards (CRS), a patient-centred waiting time standard, informed by pilot sites, lived experience advisors and clinical experts was developed, and a public consultation undertaken. 5.4 Urgent and Emergency Care waiting times data was published on 13 July 2023. Collecting data to measure community waits for mental health is more complex and so will take longer, but the aim is to publish data for mental health community waiting times by the end of the financial year. Work also continues to improve data quality. 5.5 Once robust baseline data has been collected, work can begin to analyse appropriate standards given projected demand, capacity and resources. Setting a performance standard (i.e. the percentage of people accessing treatment in line with this measure) will need to be considered in the light of this further work and available resources. 5.6 NHS England will provide an update on progress as part of its joint letter with DHSC to the Committee in January 2024.