Mental health strategy
A quick guide to the Government’s mental health strategy, No Health Without Mental Health
The government published its most recent mental health strategy on 2 February 2011. This is an ‘HM Government’, not a Department of Health, document, in recognition of the cross-government importance of mental health. Mind, along with many other mental health and social care organisations, has been a part of the process in drawing up the strategy and has signed a ‘call for action’ (PDF) to urge co-ordinated action to deliver the strategy
Mind is particularly pleased with the following announcements on issues we have campaigned on for many years:
- £400m funding over the next four years for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, specifically to extend choice and services to children and young people, older people and their carers, people with long–term physical illnesses and people with severe mental illness.
- Government funding for the Time to Change anti-stigma campaign once the current lottery and Comic Relief funding runs out later this year.
- Progress on mental health initiatives overseen by a Cabinet Sub-Committee.
- In addition to the strategy, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has also announced today the Government’s intention to remove the antiquated s141 of the Mental Health Act which bars people from being MPs if they have been sectioned for more than six months
What does the strategy say?
The strategy sets out six objectives for mental health, which feed into the overall outcomes which are being set for the NHS, public health and social care in the new outcomes approach which the Coalition Government is introducing.
These objectives are:
- More people will have good mental health
- More people with mental health problems will recover
- More people with mental health problems will have good physical health
- More people will have a positive experience of care and support
- Fewer people will suffer avoidable harm
- Fewer people will experience stigma and discrimination
A companion document, also published today, Delivering better mental health outcomes, goes into more detail about what services and provision are needed at local level to achieve these objectives.
What are the main things to welcome?
- Cross-government approach — this is a clear cross-government commitment to mental health. The strategy admits that mental health problems cost England £105bn every year and that this cost is shouldered not just by health, but by education, employers, the benefits system, police, the criminal justice system and by individuals, families and communities. The strategy sets out what can be done across government to reduce mental health problems and help people recover. Delivery of the strategy will be overseen by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Public Health, and another Cabinet Sub-Committee, on Social Justice, will be responsible for taking forward much of the work.
- Focus on public health — the strategy points out that many mental health problems could be prevented — a better start in life for children and reducing isolation for older people are singled out, but it also refers to other initiatives which can help build communities’ and individuals’ resilience. They are promising a series of ‘public mental health evidence reviews’ which will give more information.
- Focus on early intervention and recovery — there is a particular focus on supporting people as soon as they first become unwell, and specifically supporting children and young people from the very earliest years. The Government have promised ‘around £400m’ in new money over the next four years to extend a choice of psychological therapies across England including to children and young people, older people and their carers, people with long–term physical illnesses and people with severe mental illness, all of whom have been excluded from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme so far.
- Parity with physical health — the strategy calls for mental health to be given ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health and sets out clearly how poor mental health and lead to poor physical health outcomes: ‘any efficiencies in mental health services need to be carefully thought through so that false economies and greater costs elsewhere in the health and social care system are avoided.’
- Commitment to reduce mental health stigma — the Government have stated the importance of reducing mental health stigma, and have committed to supporting Mind and Rethink’s Time to Change campaign after its current funding runs out later this year.
Where does this sit with other NHS and social care changes?
This strategy is introduced against a backdrop of NHS and social care cuts and unprecedented change. While the strategy sets out how mental health provision should progress, this will all depend on local decision making and funding. We know that primary care trusts and local authorities are already making cuts in mental health services. Although this strategy counsels against kneejerk cuts and points out the ways to both reduce spending while increasing quality, all decisions will be made by local commissioners.
Tags (entire site): Mental health legislation, Talking therapies, UK Government