NHS England has today published guidance for commissioners, GPs and providers to help them support patients to choose their mental health care. From 1 April 2014 patients with mental health conditions have had the same rights as physical health patients to choose where they have their first outpatient appointment. They are able to choose any clinically […]

Thousands of mental health staff will soon be giving lifestyle MOTs to patients as well as assessing psychological health to reduce avoidable deaths. Mental health trusts all over the country will now receive financial rewards for carrying out the checks, including smoking status, diet, weight, blood pressure, glucose and fats or lipids, and ensuring identified […]

Improving medication safety in mental health is imperative, Dr Geraldine Strathdee stressed today. NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Mental Health said: “We must make sure we tackle the higher levels of mortality and reduced life expectancy in patients with mental illness and we are committed to pushing mental health to the top of the […]

NHS England’s Director for Long Term Conditions Martin McShane has today welcomed the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week by the Mental Health Foundation. He praised the Foundation’s work, this year highlighting issues around anxiety. Dr Martin McShane said: “We welcome the results from the Mental Health Foundation report which show just how many people […]

Bringing improvement at “scale and pace” is key to NHS England’s future mental health services plan, a high-powered Westminster Health Forum has been told. Dr Geraldine Strathdee told delegates at the keynote seminar in London: “I think we have a fantastic, a really excellent mental health policy. But it’s all about implementation.” NHS England’s national […]

The Quality Premium (this document is no longer available here but can be found on the National Archives website) rewards clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for improving the quality of services they commission and for associated improvements in health outcomes and reducing inequalities. It is based on a number of different measures that are set each […]

NHS England’s national clinical director for mental health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, today called for a drive aimed at improving care for psychosis patients across the country. Dr Strathdee told 150 delegates at the National Psychosis Summit to share best practice and help put together an action plan for making improvements to care across the country. […]

NHS England’s national clinical director for mental health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, is to head up a drive aimed at improving care for psychosis patients across the country. Dr Strathdee will call on 150 delegates at the National Psychosis Summit to share best practice and help put together an action plan for making improvements to care […]

A trial scheme testing a new model of Liaison and Diversion (L&D) is launched this week in ten locations across England.  The scheme will fund mental health professionals in police stations and courts, to ensure people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities are recognised and get the right treatment promptly. As announced in January […]

We need to increase the diagnosis rate for patients with dementia, Professor Alistair Burns said today. Speaking today on the Community Stage at Camp Expo in Manchester, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Dementia said the current rate of less than 50 per cent was not high enough. Professor Burns, also Professor of Old Age […]