Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Centre for Mental Health’s report published on 2 April, Improving support for people with complex mental illnesses; and what plans they have, if any, to take those recommendations forward.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

While no such specific assessment has been made, we know that people with complex mental illnesses are not always able to access the care and treatment they need. We are determined to change that.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for the neighbourhood health service. It will bring care into local communities, convene professionals into patient-centred teams, end fragmentation, and abolish the National Health Service default of ‘one size fits all’ care. As part of this, we will transform the current mental health system so people can access the right support at the right time in the right place.

We are piloting 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres to bring together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services and short-stay beds. People with severe or complex mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment if they need mental health support, as well as advice on employment, housing, or volunteering, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. The centres will improve continuity of care, drive down waits, and reduce inpatient admissions. Other local areas are looking to rollout the model more widely.

In addition, working with experts and people with lived experience, we will publish a new modern service framework for severe or complex mental illness, setting consistency in clinical standards across the country so that patients and families get high quality, evidence-based treatment and support.