Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Difficulties persist in accessing and sharing data for coordinated mental health care across organisations
Conclusion
Stakeholders stressed to us the particular importance of coordinated care for people suffering ill mental health.22 However, they were frustrated with difficulties in accessing and sharing data across different organisations, including between national and local bodies, and between health and social care sectors. For example, the vice-chair for external affairs for the RCGP, herself a practising GP, told us she could access patients’ records from her local acute health trust, but not from the local mental health trust.23 NHSE agreed that improving data sharing is a priority. It told us that it is looking to integrated care systems to make progress on this, but could not provide us with a time frame for the improvement it expects.24 Waiting times standards
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings and is implementing Mental Health Services Dataset (MHSDS) updates in April 2024 and 2025 to improve data recording, which will facilitate better data sharing. NHS England also aims for 50% of patients in key services to record a paired outcome score by year-end and has commissioned an independent impact evaluation.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: January 2024 2.2. NHS England is working to improve the recording of information on patient need, as well as other areas, through the implementation of the Mental Health Services Dataset (MHSDS) version 6 in April 2024. The version 7 update, which is currently scheduled for April 2025, is likely to include the introduction of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) - 11 diagnostic standard, and support for the new mental health currencies in development, which will better track patient-level costs. Integrated care systems can access data from the MHSDS for commissioning services, service planning, monitoring performance and reporting on performance. 2.3 As part of improving data on patient outcomes, NHS England is aiming to have 50% of patients in Children and Young People (CYP), perinatal and adult community mental health services recording a paired outcome score (where the patients have the same outcome measure recorded at least twice so progress can be measured) by the end of the year where the outcomes data quality key performance applies, and will look to extend that target in future strategies. Furthermore, an independent impact evaluation of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) has also been commissioned via the National Institute of Health Research, which will include a cost effectiveness analysis of MHSTs. These improvements collectively will put the department and NHS England in a better position to jointly assess the effectiveness of different interventions that have been implemented and will be used to inform the creation of future strategies. 2.4 DHSC will provide an update in January 2024 as part of its joint letter with NHS England to the Committee.