"Mental Health Care System Struggling, Says Doctor"

Dr. Mulligan criticized the lack of funding for community services, stating, "We have noticed a serious decline in the quality of service," with alarming increases in death rates among vulnerable patients. He emphasised that those in acute crisis face long wait times for hospital admission due to a critical shortage of frontline staff, with nearly 600 patients per therapist in Manchester.

While the government plans to recruit 8,500 more mental health workers and reform the Mental Health Act, Dr. Mulligan insists that a significant investment is necessary to break the cycle of inadequate care. The decline in available mental health beds has dropped from about 50,000 in 2001 to fewer than 25,000 today, prompting the NHS to spend up to £1,000 per night on private facilities to ensure patient safety.

Data shows a dramatic increase in spending on private beds, with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust reporting a 54,000% rise in costs this year. Meanwhile, Greater Manchester has experienced the largest increase in sending mental health patients out of area.