Patients are set to benefit as NHS England spells out how its five-year forward view for mental health services will be implemented with the publication this week of two key documents:
- Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health
- Delivering the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: Developing quality and outcomes measures
The Five Year Forward View strategy outlines four priority areas for system-wide change, namely:
- promoting good mental health and helping people lead the lives they want to live
- delivering integrated physical and mental healthcare
- providing the right care, at the right time and in the right place, and a seven-day mental health service
- hard-wiring mental health across health and social care.
CMHP Council members were involved in the Clinical Reference Group that developed the guidance on outcome measures.
Pharmacists have a key role to play in establishing measures that are meaningful and evidence-based. They are integral to multi-disciplinary teams, responsible for ensuring that patients are receiving appropriate treatments and accessible services for both their mental and physical health needs.
Nikki Holmes, President of the CMHP says: “We welcome the emphasis in the Five Year Forward View on transforming mental health services. The publication of the guide to developing quality and outcomes measures, provides a strong framework to ensure outcome measures are tailored to be clinically relevant in our local settings.
“We were very happy to be involved in the development of this guidance and we look forward to working with colleagues and mental health service partners to ensure the quality measures can be used to underpin service improvement.”
Link to NHS England news release:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/07/mh-imp/