Key Summary
- The NHS App offers a free mental healthcare service built by trusted clinicians
- New emergency units will be set up to provide support for those experiencing a mental health crisis
- A pilot is being done for the neighbourhood mental health model in community locations
The government has recruited more than 6,700 extra mental health workers since July and is closing in on its target of hiring an extra 8,500 mental health staff by the end of this Parliament.
This recruitment milestone comes ahead of the publication of the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country.
Under the plan, patients will get better access to support directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies without needing a GP appointment.
Instead of people having to turn to costly mental health apps, the NHS App offers a free service built by trusted clinicians to help give all mental health patients the care they need.
The plan lays the foundation for patients to access mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the app.
Health secretary, Wes Streeting, said that mental health patients have long found it difficult to access mental health services, and this government is determined to change that.
"Not getting the right support for your mental health isn’t just debilitating, it can hit a painful pause button on your life, stopping you from working, enjoying time with family and friends or living day-to-day life," he added.
He said new emergency units will be set up, staffed by specialist doctors and nurses, and they will provide round-the-clock support for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Patients can walk in or be referred by GPs to the units, which are set to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and designed to provide a calm environment in contrast to the noise and chaos of major hospitals.
Alongside this, a neighbourhood mental health model, providing open access to specialist services and holistic support in community locations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is already being piloted in six locations.
The reforms come amid a rise in mental health conditions across the UK.
An adult psychiatric survey published this week showed that over 22 per cent of 16 to 64-year-olds have common mental health conditions, up from 17 per cent in 2007.
Under the Plan for Change, the government is working beyond the health system to tackle the drivers of mental ill health, such as homelessness and unemployment.
The government's recently announced welfare legislation is getting more people with health conditions back to work, backed by £1 billion to unlock opportunity and grow the economy.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said, "Too often, people with mental health conditions are left without the support they need to return to work, not because they lack the will, but because the system doesn’t work for them. We’re determined to change that."
The government is also continuing with its rollout of mental health support teams in schools, with almost one million more young people to benefit in education settings this year.
The proposed Young Futures hubs will make it easier for young people to access mental health, career, and support in their communities.
