New approach needed to commissioning for better mental health

29 May 2007

Public services will struggle to promote good mental health without radical changes in the way they are commissioned, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) said today.

In its response to the Government's Commissioning Framework for Health and Wellbeing, whose consultation period ends today, SCMH called for a new strategy that sets out how to promote good mental health and what skills are needed to do it.

Linda Seymour, SCMH head of policy, said: "The Commissioning Framework presents a positive vision of public services working together for health and wellbeing. But it is short on the detail of how to achieve its goals.

"Mental health commissioning is still dominated by services to treat mental illness. It is rare that commissioners work together to build services to promote mental wellbeing or to address the wider needs of people with either severe or common mental health problems.

"Good commissioning is the key to better services. From the development of psychological therapies to the creation of improved care and rehabilitation for offenders, commissioners can make the difference to people's lives locally by investing in services that meet all of their needs.

"Real progress will only be achieved if the people who use such services are actively involved in making commissioning decisions. We need a commitment to skill-up the people who use services to play a pivotal role in designing, delivering and monitoring services.

"We hope the Government will build on the Commissioning Framework and support public service commissioners to achieve radical change. It needs to invest in the skills and knowledge of commissioners across the country. Without such investment, the opportunity to make a difference could be missed."

You can download our response to the consultation below.

Download our response to the consultation (Word, 124 KB)