Mental health policy in England

House of Commons Library briefing on mental health policy in England. Around one in four people in the UK suffer from a mental health problem each year. The NHS has set out that it wants to achieve “parity of esteem” between mental and physical health, in terms of access to services, quality of care and allocation of resources.  Click here to read further.

Towards mental health equality: a manifesto for the next Prime Minister

This manifesto focuses on five key asks of the new Prime Minister: take action to prevent mental illness; create a cross-government plan for mental health and establish a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach across government; reform the Mental Health Act; ensure everyone can access the right mental health support, in the right place, at the right time; and build a mental health workforce fit for the future.  Click here to read further.

Manifesto for Better Mental Health

The Mental Health Policy Group - a coalition of six organisations working together for better mental health, launches the Manifesto for Better Mental Health as the new Prime Minister takes up post. Read NHS Confederation latest news here

NHS plan jeopardised by unfinished business on funding and rising demand

Delivering the ambitious vision of improved care for patients set out in the new NHS Long Term Plan plan will be extremely challenging without urgent government action on wider health funding, warn the Health Foundation and NHS Confederation. Click here to read NHS Confederation news piece

Progress of the 'Five Year Forward View for Mental Health': on the road to parity

This report is the product of an in depth inquiry into the progress of the government's mental health strategy, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.  Click here to read further.

The Brexit White Paper on future relations and alternative proposals

This briefing paper looks at some of the proposals in the White Paper, their reception in the UK and EU, and any corresponding provisions in the DExEU ‘alternative white paper’. It discusses medicine and access to health care. View King's Fund blog here

The Ageing Process And Health

This briefing summarises the evidence on the biological basis of ageing and outlines the ways in which public health policy can support better health in later life. Click here to view Kings Fund blog

NIHR Signal National tobacco control policies linked to improvements in children’s health

National smoke-free legislation in advanced economies is linked to reduced rates of preterm birth, asthma hospitalisations and serious throat and chest infections in children. Comprehensive smoke-free policies appear to be more effective than policies with only partial or selective introduction.


Smoking increases health risks for the smoker and others through second-hand exposure. Although the number of people smoking in the UK is falling, eight million UK adults still smoke, and an estimated five million children are exposed to second-hand smoke. Children are vulnerable to smoke due to their small, developing lungs and immune systems.


From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

Government announces transformation of children's mental health services

The Government has today set out its plans for an overhaul of mental health support for children in England. Click here to read further.

A framework for mental health research - Department of Health

This framework provides a collective view of how mental health research should develop in the UK over the next decade. Click here to read further.

NHS England specialised commissioning service development policy

The service development policy sets out NHS England’s approach for making decisions about which new treatments and interventions to routinely commission, and the approach used for updating existing service specifications, or creating new ones.

Spotlight on specialised services
This report provides an insight into some of the specialised services that are already being delivered and will continue to be rolled out over the coming years in the NHS.

Elective care: model access policy

The purpose of this policy from NHS England is to ensure all patients requiring access to outpatient appointments, diagnostics and elective inpatient or day-case treatment are managed in line with national waiting time standards and the NHS Constitution.

Reducing delays for people moving from hospital to social care

In a written ministerial statement Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced (on 3 July 2017) measures to support the NHS and local government in reducing delays for people being discharged from hospital to local social care services.

The measures include:

• local authorities agreeing with local NHS organisations on the contribution they will make to reducing the number of delayed transfers of care in their local areas
• a performance dashboard showing how health and social care partners in every local authority area in England are performing against a number of metrics, including: delayed transfers of care, emergency admissions, length of stay in hospital, the number of people still at home 90 days after being discharged from hospital
• the Integration and Better Care Fund Planning Requirements 2017 to 2019, which set out how the Better Care Fund Planning process will operate

Antimicrobial Resistance: resource handbook

This handbook from Public Health England collates national resources on antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control.

Integration and Better Care Fund policy framework 2017 to 2019

This DH document sets out how health, social care and other public services will integrate and provides an overview of related policy initiatives and legislation. It includes the policy framework for the implementation of the statutory Better Care Fund in 2017 to 2019.

Adult severe uveitis interim policy approved

The interim policy proposes that for the minority of cases with chronic sight threatening and visually disabling uveitis, that are unresponsive to previously available standard treatments, treatment with adalimumab should commence. Read the policy here

NHS England to issue new guidance on low value prescription items

NHS England will be leading a review of low value prescription items from April 2017 and introducing new guidance for Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), with a view to substantially saving NHS expenditure in this area.

NHS England will work with clinicians and clinical commissioning groups to develop guidelines initially around a set of 10 medicines which are ineffective, unnecessary, inappropriate for prescription on the NHS, or indeed unsafe, and that together cost the NHS £128m per year. In developing the guidance, the views of patient groups, clinicians, commissioners and providers across the NHS will be sought.

Food for thought: mental health and nutrition briefing

What we eat and drink affects how we feel, think and behave. With a recent study finding more than 1 in 6 people experience a mental health problem each week, the need for effective approaches to understanding and improving mental health has never been greater.

This briefing focuses on how nutrition can be effectively integrated into public health strategies to protect and improve mental health and emotional wellbeing. It discusses what we know about the relationship between nutrition and mental health, the risk and positive factors within our diets and proposes an agenda for action.

NHS mandate 2017 to 2018

NHS mandate 2017 to 2018

NHS mandate 2016 to 2017 has also been updated

Five year forward view for mental health: one year on

This report marks the anniversary of the publication of the Five year forward view for mental health. It highlights the progress made in the first year of the programme, and takes a look at the achievements that need to be built upon to deliver next year and beyond.

• Report
• Associated documentation