Recommendation 10

Although DEFRA is clearly responsible for working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to ensure mental health policy and services are rural proofed, it is unclear what priority, resources and energy DEFRA has assigned to achieving impact in this area. The NHS Long Term Plan and Mental Health Implementation Plan, together, provide the national framework for ambitions on mental health but, again, it is unclear how far rural communities’ mental health needs are being taken into account not least when, as DEFRA confirmed, it does not have adequate data in this area.