Government announces 10 Year Health Plan
The government has launched a 10 Year Health Plan with the aim of improving and adapting the NHS. This plan was announced following an initial period of consultation with the public and stakeholders, during which UKCP highlighted to the government the importance of improved patient choice in mental health care in the NHS and initiatives to support the talking therapies workforce. The plan focuses on three key shifts:
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shift 1: moving more care from hospitals to communities
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shift 2: making better use of technology in health and care
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shift 3: focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.
The primary plans relating to mental health include:
- Access to quality care:
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Transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood care models.
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£120m allocated for 85 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs) that will provide specialist, same-day support in an appropriate setting.
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£750m for hospitals, including mental health units.
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Improving assertive outreach care and treatment, focusing on reducing inequalities.
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Improving crisis response for people with severe mental illness by remote monitoring.
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- Increasing patient choice:
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Creation of a Modern Service Framework for mental health by a new National Quality Board (NQB) that will identify the best interventions, focusing on severe and enduring mental illness.
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New digital and AI tools, including virtual therapists providing 24/7 support for mild or moderate needs.
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Prevention and management:
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Providing additional wellbeing support for children and young people through Young Futures Hubs, so that they can access mental health support that is well integrated and with existing local youth support delivery.
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Continued commitment to expand Start for Life and Family Hubs, with an additional commitment to ensure good partnership working between these and the new Neighbourhood Health Services.
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Investment in pharmacies so people can get mental health support more easily.
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Real-time suicide surveillance to reduce rates.
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Updates to the NHS app where patients can self-refer to specialist care, including talking therapies.
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Expansion and integration of employment support, including online tools, employment advice in talking therapies, integrated employment goals and expanded Individual Placement and Support schemes.
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- Recruiting and retaining the workforce:
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A continued commitment to recruit 8,500 mental health workers.
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Mental health support teams in all schools by 2029/30.
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Improved staff satisfaction and retention through initiatives such as the roll out of Staff Treatment Hubs that will provide staff with high-quality physical and mental health support.
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Prevention and patient empowerment
We agree with the plan’s focus on prevention, particularly the focus on social determinants of health, as this is a vital part of providing a high-quality, comprehensive health service.
We also welcome the emphasis on patient choice throughout the health plan, including the introduction of a new patient choice charter. This aims to empower patients to choose their care provider and type of treatment, with the hope of increasing patient control and convenience, while also incentivising better service performance. We urge the government to prioritise patient choice within mental health service provision, particularly as many of the therapy options in the NHS are CBT-based and provide little choice for other types of therapy.
While we recognise the vital role that technology plays in improving access to mental health services, it's important to highlight that virtual therapy is not always the right fit for everyone. We urge the government to prioritise expanding in-person services. The emphasis on digital therapies, while allowing for improved access, should not overshadow the need for in-person therapy services as well. There’s a risk that AI could be overused in mental health delivery, reducing patient choice, especially given the current high demand and lengthy wait lists.
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