NHS England welcomes Crisis Care Concordat
NHS England has welcomed the mental health crisis care concordat as an important step forward in improving care and standards for people in a mental health crisis.
The Concordat, launched today by the Department of Health, is a joint agreement which describes how police, mental health services, social work services and ambulance professionals should work together to help people going through a mental health crisis.
The Concordat aligns closely with NHS England’s Parity of Esteem agenda. Since April last year, NHS England has been working on improving mental health information, changing contractual incentives and levers, investing in developing better commissioning with CCGs, embedding mental health as an important part of urgent care work and significantly invested in improving access to psychological therapies and dementia care, setting up networks across the country.
We are determined to improve and integrate physical and mental health so patients receive the best service and outcomes at the best value to the tax payer.
Dr Martin McShane, NHS England’s Director for Improving the Quality of Life for People with Long Term Conditions, said: “The mental health crisis care concordat is an important step forward to delivering better care and outcomes for people in the midst of a mental health crisis. It is important that we address mental health as we would physical health problems; effectively, safely and with a positive patient experience; with ‘parity of esteem’.
“The concordat recognises the need for coordinated action across multiple agencies, including police, health and social care. Everyone needs to contribute and work constructively and collaboratively. NHS England is committed to playing a full part and has launched a wide programme of work overseen by a Parity of Esteem programme board, chaired by Lord Victor Adebowale. This has the objective of ensuring equal priority is given to both mental and physical health services in all the work that NHS England does. The concordat will also inform and influence the Urgent and Emergency Care Review programme of work.
“NHS England has also established strategic clinical networks across England to support delivering the changes needed and appointed as cohort of National Clinical Directors who are all committed to supporting parity of esteem for mental health.
“The challenges set out in the concordat must and will be addressed and NHS England welcomes the agenda for change it sets out.”