Nurse staffing levels and budgeted expenditure in acute mental health wards: a benchmarking study.

This paper describes benchmarking research undertaken within one former National Health Service Executive region examining acute ward funded and actual staffing establishments and funded expenditure for mental health nursing staff. Staffing establishment data were obtained for all 73 acute wards within the region. Of the established posts for trained mental health nurses across these wards, it was identified that there were 12% vacancies (117.99 whole time equivalent) at the time of the study. While some of the shortfall was dealt with by recruiting untrained nursing staff above funded establishments, there remained an overall shortfall in the total nursing workforce across the system of acute wards in the region. Although most of the provider trusts in the region were in development or experiencing major organizational change at the time of the study, considerable variation existed within and between trusts. Variations were identified in funded and actual nursing establishments and cost per bed, raising significant issues for trusts and their local mental health economies. Variations based on mixed- and single-sex wards were also noted. Findings are discussed in respect of the issues raised for the development of wards, provider trusts and their local systems. The utility of the methodology developed in this work is also discussed.