Programme aims
To support and facilitate improved
commissioning of mental health and wellbeing, using a values based
commissioning model; to support regional leadership and network
development, and produce practical tools that are piloted with
local commissioners to ensure validity and suitability. The
programme aims to inspire the new system to raise commissioning
expectations and deliver improved outcomes. It will help
commissioners to deliver the Mental Health Strategy Implementation
Framework and assure the National Commissioning Board that clinical
leadership for mental health within commissioning organisations is
being prioritised as reform of the NHS progresses.
Commissioning
Commissioning in mental health is complicated
and involves many different players at different levels in health,
social care and the third sector. Mental health is everyone’s
business. It is important to make care pathways more seamless, to
support patient choice, and deliver high quality services for
people who may have physical as well as mental health needs. To
achieve this, commissioners and their partners need to understand
their local populations, the pattern of service provision, evidence
relating to effectiveness, as well as what their service users need
and want and can contribute. Everyone needs to engage with the
principles of values-based commissioning, and support the process
of commissioning evidence-based, cost-effective, safe services,
delivered to a high standard that offer value for money and take
account of individual and community assets.
The Programme
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commissioning
Pack will help commissioners to make cases for change; understand
service costs; know more about local pressures; develop service
specifications and contracts and measure the impact of investment
in terms of outcomes agreed at national level. There are four major
work-streams:
1. needs assessment/service and
financial profiling
2. cases-for-change/costing
tools/service specification/contract inserts
3. GP Mental Health leadership,
skills and network development
4. A website (RP).
A programme board, co-chaired by the JCP and
MHLG is overseeing things, and is being supported by an Operational
Management Group. Accountability for the content of the tools
rests with the JCP; accountability for delivery rests with MHLG;
the NHS Confederation holds the contract. Most of the work is
funded by the MHLG but needs assessment is funded by NHS
London.
What will the Pack look like?
We will deliver free tools that enable
commissioners and their partners to quickly access reliable
information about mental health needs, the arguments, the services,
the costs, the benefits and the best outcomes from care. They will
be easy to use and practical, supporting emerging commissioners to
do a complicated job well.
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