Allocating resources in mental health: a clinician's guide to involvement

Abstract

With fundamental changes to the way services are commissioned and resourced within the UK's National Health Service (NHS), optimising the efficient and effective use of resources has become a key task for mental health clinicians and managers. A core step in this process is ensuring that resources are optimally allocated across the service. This article outlines steps in resource allocation, including understanding how resources are managed through budgets, the link between resource matching and care delivery, and methods of reallocating resources to improve service performance. Influencing appropriate allocation is a critical role for psychiatrists, working with both managers and commissioners in the decision-making process. Understanding resource allocation from a management perspective should improve the ability of psychiatrists to influence this process more effectively.