Summary
From January 2015-September 2015 ESCC spent approximately £53,000 on up to 10 sessions per person of 1 to 1 support with a trained, paid and supported Peer Support
Specialist. For every £1 spent on this there were approximately £9.60 of savings to Health and Social Care. This report sets out the methodology for calculating this.
From January 2015 the Recovery Partners quarterly report to ESCC for the Peer Specialist
Service (Funding Agreement Number 1116, beginning in 2012) included the results of an online survey of Recovery Partners clients. Among the responses given by these clients there are estimates of the reduced number of times each client used NHS and other services as a consequence of receiving peer support. In particular the clients reported reduced use of the following NHS services:

Reduced number of visits to A&E

Reduced number of hospital admissions
 Reduced number of contacts with GP

Reduced number of appointments with psychiatrist

Reduced number of contacts with other mental health professional
 Reduced number of calls to 111
In addition they reported fewer problems including the following:
 Reduced mental health symptoms

Reduced isolation

Reduced number of times self-harmed

Reduced number of suicide attempts
 Reduced number of times felt in crisis

Reduced number of days off sick from work
 Improvement in mental health and well-being
 Improved contribution to society

Involvement in education, including the Recovery College
The effects of the improvement in these factors have not been costed, but they do represent additional cost savings as well as a significant improvement in social capital.
Cost savings to NHS and Adult Social Care
Using the information provided by the 24 clients, the cost saving to the NHS and to ESCC adult social care for these 24 clients has been estimated. The cost of NHS services (at
2012/2013 prices) was obtained from two NHS publications: NHS reference costs guidance and NHS Trust and Primary Care Trusts combined. These documents gave the following average costs of certain relevant NHS services:
Visit to A&E – £70
Mental health hospital stay – £10,461
1

Mental health, adult social care – £3,731 (for someone who spends time in mental hospital)
GP appointment – £45
Psychiatrist appointment – £140
Mental health nurse appointment – £37
Call to 111 – £20
Using these unit costs, the estimated saving to the NHS and to adult social care is as follows.
Both minimum and median estimate cost savings are given.
Figures in black for April 2015 survey of 24 drop in and individual clients
Figures in brown for April 2015 survey for the 20 individual peer support clients
Figures in red for July 2015 survey of 32 drop in and individual clients
Figures in green for July 2015 survey for the 27 individual peer support clients
Figures in blue for October 2015 survey of 28 individual clients
Totals for 9 months in purple for all 84 clients (all are peer support clients)
Reduced number of visits to A&E:
£1,540 (minimum) £2,520 (median estimate)
£560 (minimum) £1,050 (median estimate)
£420 (minimum)
£350 (minimum)
£840 (median estimate)
£700 (median estimate)
£1,680 (minimum) £2,170 (median estimate)
Reduced number of hospital admissions:
£20,992 to NHS (minimum) plus £7,462 to social care
£41,984 to NHS (median estimate) plus £7,462 to social care
£10,461 to NHS (minimum) plus £3,731 to social care
£20,992 to NHS (median estimate) plus £3,731 to social care
£62,766 to NHS (minimum) plus £22,386 to social care
£125,532 to NHS (median estimate) plus £22,386 to social care
£52,305 to NHS (minimum) plus £18,655 to social care
£104,610 to NHS (median estimate) plus £18,655 to social care
£31,383 to NHS (minimum) plus £11,193 to social care
£198,759 to NHS (median estimate) plus £11,163 to social care
Reduced number of contacts with GP
£2,250 (minimum) £3,285 (median estimate)
£900 (minimum) £1,485 (median estimate)
£1,925 (minimum) £2,970 (median estimate)
2

£1,880 (minimum) £2,880 (median estimate)
£1,665 (minimum) £2,565 (median estimate)
Reduced number of appointments with psychiatrist
£4,480 (minimum) £6,860 (median estimate)
£2,940 (minimum) £4,340 (median estimate)
£1,960 (minimum) £3,360 (median estimate)
£1,820 (minimum) £3,080 (median estimate)
£1,540 (minimum) £2,520 (median estimate)
Reduced number of contacts with other professional (assume mental health nurse)
£2,331 (minimum) £3,552 (median estimate)
£1,591 (minimum) £2,442 (median estimate)
£1,554 (minimum) £2,368 (median estimate)
£1,515 (minimum) £2,294 (median estimate)
£1,406 (minimum) £2,257 (median estimate)
Reduced number of calls to 111
£360 (minimum)
£80 (minimum)
£20 (minimum)
Zero
£180 (minimum)
£560 (median estimate)
£140 (median estimate)
£40 (median estimate)
£280 (median estimate)
Overall savings to NHS (and adult social care)
Minimum £31,953 (average £1,331 per client) – Jan to March 2015
Minimum £16,532 (average £827 per client) – Jan to March 2015
Minimum £68,655 (average £2,145 per client) – April to June 2015
Minimum £57,870 (average £2,143 per client) – April to June 2015
Minimum £37,854 (average £1,352 per client) – July to Sept 2015
Minimum £138,462 (average £1,648 per client) total for 84 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Minimum £112,256 (average £1,497 per client) total for 75 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Median estimate £58,761 (Average £2,448 per client) – Jan to March 2015
Median estimate £30,449 (Average £1,522 per client) – Jan to March 2015
Median estimate £135,110 (Average £4,222 per client) – April to June 2015
Median estimate £113,564 (Average £4,206 per client) – April to June 2015
Median estimate £208,551 (Average £7,448 per client) – July to Sept 2015
Median estimate £402,422 (Average £4,791 per client) for 84 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Median estimate £352,564 (Average £4,701 per client) for 75 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Plus £7,462 to adult social care – Jan to March 2015
Plus £3,731 to adult social care – Jan to March 2015
3

Plus £22,386 to adult social care – April to June 2015
Plus £18,655 to adult social care – April to June 2015
Plus £11,163 to adult social care – July to Sept 2015
Plus £40,993 to adult social care total for 84 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Plus £33,549 to adult social care total for 75 clients – Jan to Sept 2015
Analysis and comment:
Average saving per client is £5,148. The total number of clients who have completed individual peer support this year is 98. Therefore the estimated saving to Health and
Social Care is £504,504.
The cost of the individual peer support service [after taking out the cost of training and the cost of the drop-ins] is approximately £53,000. This means that for every £1 spent on peer support, savings of £9.52 were made.
One of the only complaints we receive is that 10 sessions is not enough for people with complex needs. It is possible that if we were able to offer more sessions we could improve the outcomes for individuals as well as increase cost savings for statutory services.
4