Cost of employing locum psychiatrists in the NHS is going up according to figures obtained by the BBC. Data from the country’s 14 health boards show £134 million has been spent on the temporary doctors since 2019. Psychiatrists say it’s reflective of wider recruitment challenges.
BBC Reporting Scotland Wrongly is on the above scare this morning.
Here are the data apparently:
The total cost increased from £20.8m in 2019/20 to £34.8m last year according to figures obtained in a joint investigation by The Guardian and the BBC.
This is a very strange graph indeed. The spend on emergency locum deals (red), by definition, must fall within the total spend (blue). You can’t add them together to get a bigger number and, looking just at the total, it clearly fell least year.
The UK’s inflation rate from 2019 to August 2024 is 25%: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator
As for the actual data on mental health treatment times:
From Public Health Scotland, today:
86.0% of children and young people were seen within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 83.8% for the previous quarter and from the 74.2% for the same quarter ending March 2023. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times-quarter-ending-march-2024/
In NHS England? 18 weeks? 86%?
Only 72% were seen within 52 weeks! https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2024/03/Childrens-mental-health-services-22-23_CCo-final-report.pdf
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
wonder how much has been spent in Westminster governed English NHS?
dottieb
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Scottish NHS has 650 consultant psychiatrists, Westminster governed English NHS only 4466….
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-features/latest-news/detail/2023/05/25/royal-college-of-psychiatrists-calls-for-urgent-publication-of-nhs-workforce-plan-as-psychiatrist-numbers-stagnate
Para 2 “analysis of NHS workforce statistics shows a growth of only 5.8% in the number of consultant psychiatrists working in the NHS across England, over a 10-year period between 2013 and 2023, from 4,222 to 4,466,”
0-0
Squirrel distraction for today lambasts Scottish NHS for only having
No care left in system in Scotland
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/07/no-care-left-in-the-system-patients-on-use-of-locum-psychiatrists-in-scotland
Para NINE
” Over the last five years, the number of NHS psychiatrists has fallen by 17% in Scotland, or 130 people, to 651 full-time posts.”
651 Scotland but only 4466 England
Can’t find Welsh stats..
Dottieb
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Aye, yet another Andrew Picken piece, this is the Guardian version by Severin Carrell, ” Scottish NHS boards pay up to £837 an hour for locums amid psychiatry crisis ” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/07/scottish-nhs-boards-pay-up-to-837-an-hour-for-locums-amid-psychiatry-crisis
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O/T but just spotted a Guardian article about a possible change to energy pricing, so that areas closer to energy production pay less for their energy. Ie Scotland would benefit (cheapest energy in Europe according to one quote). However seems complaints from some users? Interested parties? Claiming it would break the UK energy system completely.
Jon Musgrave
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Well spotted!
The graph is undoubtedly misleading as ‘total’ spend, by definition, includes all spending, including emergency and other categories.
I suspect that this graph has been either constructed to be wilfully misleading or, more charitably, has been deployed by ssomeone who has no great knowledge statistics.
It could well have been presented by the Royal College of Psychiatrists as its president in Scotland was interviewed and saying – I summarise – ‘Gie’s merr money!’
Alasdair Macdonald
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