Anyone who has ever been depressed knows that there is always a chance that the condition may return. We know that the more episodes of depression an individual has, the more likely they are to have further episodes, so it’s vital that we do all that we can to prevent relapse after depression. This feeling was [read the full story…]
LSE report highlights ‘massive inequality’ in the way the NHS treats mental illness compared to physical illness
Mental illness accounts for nearly half of all ill health in people under 65, but only a quarter of people are given the treatment they need, according to a new report published today by the London School of Economics. The report has been written by a distinguished group of mental health and health policy professionals from [read the full story…]
Collaborating for cost effectiveness : CIPFA reports on “Sharing the Gain”
For clinical commissioning groups and commissioning support services moving to agree Service Level Agreements this summer, this ‘how-to’ guide on developing and running shared public services is one for the week-end reading pile. Reducing costs via collaborative working is high on the agenda for public service bodies. “Sharing the Gain” from CIPFA (the leading professional [read the full story…]
Rethinking physical activity for depression: what’s cost effective?
Exercise is a good thing right? It seems obvious that people who are affected by mental health problems would benefit from getting themselves outside and becoming more active, but are these ‘treatments’ value for money when they are delivered in a structured way? The current NICE depression guideline recommends ‘structured’ physical activity programmes for depression [read the full story…]
When is it appropriate to prescribe antipsychotics to treat the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia?
This topic has been well publicised in recent years and for good reason. We know that there is a huge disparity between the number of people with dementia who are prescribed antipsychotics (180,000 in England each year) and the number who may derive some benefit from the treatment (36,000). We also know that dangerous side [read the full story…]
An integrated approach to mental and physical health could save the NHS billions, says new report from the King’s Fund
People with long-term conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, are two to three times more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. However, a systemic failure to identify these problems and provide effective support is resulting in poorer outcomes for patients and could be costing the NHS billions, says a report [read the full story…]
Cost-effectiveness of molar endodontic retreatment compared with fixed partial dentures and single-tooth implant alternatives
This study by Kim et al from March 2011 has had a summary prepared by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) at the University of York. The CRD summary of the paper states:- This study examined the cost-effectiveness of strategies for the management of a tooth after failed root canal treatment, including non-surgical or [read the full story…]
The cost-effectiveness of public health interventions: positive findings reported
It is imperative for the NHS to make best possible use of limited resources and the health and economic effects of lifestyle diseases are significant. The economic case for public health interventions … hitherto has lacked a systematic compilation of evidence … that would allow informed decisions about the allocation of resources between prevention and [read the full story…]
Liaison psychiatry teams in general hospitals can achieve major cost savings to the NHS, finds new report
Liaison psychiatry teams in general hospitals can cut costs to the NHS by reducing how many people need beds and how long they stay, according to a report published yesterday by Centre for Mental Health with the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and funded by [read the full story…]
Group CBT is not cost-effective for treating postnatal depression
The objective of this cost-utility analysis was to assess the cost-effectiveness of providing group cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), compared with routine primary care, for women with postnatal depression in the UK. Group CBT was compared with routine primary care for women with postnatal depression, defined by their Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score, with scores ranging [read the full story…]