Mind comments on the draft Mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board

Posted Wednesday 4 July 2012

Mind has welcomed the draft mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, released today by the Government. The document sets out the goals and outcomes that the NHS must deliver on, and will be used by the Government to hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

We are very pleased to see that mental health has been made a priority in the draft Mandate and we welcome the objective to ensure mental health is put on a par with physical health. Many people with mental health problems tell us how important dignity and respect are to their care and support - it is heartening to see strong references to these values throughout the Mandate.

However, the key challenge is how the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) deliver on these objectives in practice. We know that across the country many people receive poor quality mental health services, or cannot access support at all, often due to long waiting lists. To ensure people with mental health problems get the care they really need, the Mandate requires a stronger commitment to shared decision making, which prioritises choice of treatment and joint care planning, not just provider choice.

With the Mental Health Strategy Implementation Framework due soon now is a critical time for the future of mental health care.  We look forward to working with the Government and commissioners to ensure the Mandate’s commitments to better mental health care are translated into reality.

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