Paul Midgley and Rebecca Thomas (HSJ correspondent for mental health, learning disabilities and community services) discuss the mental health priorities coming out of the NHS long-term plan, and what this means if you’re selling to the NHS.
Some areas previously included within the 5YFV have seen great success, specifically in specialist services such as children’s mental health. The LTP recognises that further investment is required, and specifically in the community.
The LTP provides a gear change towards core and community services which have until now been lacking in focus. With greater emphasis on understanding population dynamics in order to define needs, it will be more important to assess the state of variation in current care provision and improve data sharing.
We can expect to see a shift in the following areas:
- Development of PCNs to support out-of-hospital care
- Community mental health teams aligned to PCNs, to help overcome the existing divide between primary care and mental health teams
- Digital is expected to play a big part in the delivery and access to mental health care, especially for children and young people
- Considering mental and physical health together
Expand your knowledge of the NHS long-term plan
We now offer an online course on the NHS long-term plan focusing on the four areas of the plan. The course provides you with essential knowledge to help you adapt your plans and value propositions to ensure you can work effectively with your NHS customer and achieve your commercial goals. For further information look here.