Government is accused of back-pedalling on its commitment to “parity of esteem” between mental and physical healthcare

Experts have warned that “discriminatory” funding cuts are damaging mental healthcare in England.

Sue Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, speaking at a conference in London on Tuesday 29 April organised by the Westminster Health Forum, denounced new changes to tariffs that differentially affect mental and physical health services.

She was referring to an announcement earlier this year by NHS England and Monitor that recommended smaller cuts in the tariff for acute care trusts than for other types of trust in 2014-15.1 The healthcare bodies argued that hospitals would incur “extra” costs to implement …