National mental health charity, Mental Health Matters, has issued an open letter to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget, requesting a £30 million investment fund to incorporate Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) services into NHS estates.
The charity is urging the Chancellor to establish a fund to renovate unused NHS buildings, including spaces in hospitals and GP surgeries. This investment would create permanent locations for voluntary and community-led services to operate on-site, alongside the NHS.
Jane Hughes, Chief Executive of Mental Health Matters, stated, “We estimate that there are over 800,000 square metres of unused or underutilised space within the NHS estate, costing the taxpayer over £375 million. The charity sector is eager to provide services in these spaces. We often hear that individuals are unaware of the support available in their community, and that services need to be more integrated. We believe this proposal would address these issues by making services like ours more visible, accessible, and better integrated with the NHS.”
The proposed plan aims to reduce reliance on temporary prefab structures and make better use of underutilised NHS spaces, ensuring that voluntary and community organisations have secure, high-quality spaces to offer prevention, early intervention, and recovery support.
The proposal also suggests involving local VCFSE partners in the design process to meet the specific needs of the community.
Sarah Wileman, Director of Development at Mental Health Matters, added, “Local communities know what works for them. By working together, we can transform empty spaces into services that are accessible, inclusive, and tailored to local needs.”
Mental Health Matters believes that this investment would assist the Government in achieving NHS England’s Community Mental Health Transformation priorities, promote more efficient use of taxpayer money, and reinvest building rental income back into the health system.
