Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Accepted in Part
Fragmented mental health system requires sustained investment and cultural shift for transformative community care.
Recommendation
Delivering real change and achieving parity of esteem in mental health care requires dismantling the current fragmented system and reimagining service design and delivery. The 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre 75 pilots seem to be genuinely transformative. The experience from Trieste, and early evidence from Barnsley Street, show that radically different, individualised, community-based care gets results. We also heard that the model shows possible cost savings for the wider system. Realising large- scale reform will depend on sustained and ringfenced investment to enable stretched Integrated Care Boards to take the action needed. This must be matched by a profound cultural shift across the system from clinicians to commissioners to government. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government partially accepts, focusing its response on improving the transition from children and young people’s mental health services to adult services for 0-25 year olds. It commits to strengthening continuity of care and eliminating rigid age-based thresholds with a new developmental service specification, but does not explicitly address sustained, ringfenced investment or a broader cultural shift for large-scale reform.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
The government partially accepts this recommendation. We have launched 6 national pilots of community based mental health centres that have the potential to transform mental health services, with evaluation due in 2026. We will look at the outcome of the pilots carefully to assess the effects of this new service model, particularly on patient experience, access and potential reductions in pressure on existing services, and economic impact. Over 4 years, the government will make available capital funding of £473 million to invest in new models, including community based mental health centres, building on findings from the 6 pilots, alongside other capital projects. Integrated care boards (ICBs) have the flexibility over this funding to decide what models are best suited for their populations. This flexible investment allows for systems to develop community based mental health centre infrastructure, supported by a national implementation team that is actively sharing networks, learning and practical resources emerging from early delivery. Through the community based mental health centres, people with SMI and their families can receive care and treatment when they need it, in their community, 24 hours a day. The centres are an innovative reorganisation of mental health services into one place to end the silos and hand-offs between teams, restore continuity of care and lower access and waiting times. The centres are co-delivered with primary care, VCSFE and specialist services which can be drawn on as required. People can receive psychological therapies, medication and other interventions while also having access to expertise that can help with other wider issues that may be impacting on their wellbeing and recovery such as housing or employment, creating a holistic offer of care. Bringing these centres into the heart of communities means that people with SMI who are in crisis do not need to present in A&E departments but instead can get the support they need in an appropriate, calming environment.
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