July 25, 2013

the true cost of brain disorders

NHS spending frequently makes headline news, but whilst the Government’s attention has focussed largely on cancer and heart disease, a new piece of research suggests that other medical issues are dwarfed by the costs associated with brain disorders. The research,  published in the Journal of Psychopharmocology, reports how much the UK spent per person, and per disorder on both the direct and indirect costs of around 45 million diagnoses.

• How many billions does each disorder cost?
• Why is it so much greater than for other issues?
• What can be done to reduce these massive costs?
• With an ageing population, is the situation expected to get worse before it gets better?

Speakers: 

Prof Naomi Fineberg, Consultant psychiatrist and Visiting Professor, University of Hertfordshire

Prof David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London and President of the British Neuroscience Association

Prof Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge and President of the British Association for Psychopharmacology