This announcement is a welcome step towards a mental health system that more effectively protects and supports people living with a mental health condition.
The strategy’s focus must be on bringing different parts of a fragmented system together. The north star is to ensure that people are placed at the heart of their own care so that they will be better able to navigate their support, advocate for themselves, and live independent and fulfilling lives. For this to happen, we need the cultural and organisational architecture which defines mental health provision to improve.
We know that reform is urgently needed. Mental health services currently don’t have the funding and resources needed to keep pace with rising demand—leaving too many without the help they need. We’ve also seen an alarming slip in understanding of mental health in the last few years. Shifting from crisis intervention to preventative care—and focusing on tackling the profound inequalities that exist within mental health care—is essential.
Gerard Crofton-Martin
Interim Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)