Picker submitted this response to the UK Government's call for evidence to help inform the development of a new Mental Health Strategy for England.
Building on insights from the Community Mental Health Survey, the NHS Patient Survey Programme and examples of best practice from the Picker Experience Network (PEN) Awards, our response highlights opportunities to improve people's experiences of mental health care.
The response focuses on:
- Strengthening community mental health services by improving access to wider health and wellbeing support, reducing waiting times and ensuring people receive support while they wait for treatment.
- Improving continuity of care across services and transitions, particularly for children and young people moving between CAMHS and adult services.
- Supporting person centred digital care, ensuring digital and AI-enabled services improve access without increasing health inequalities or digital exclusion.
- Using patient experience data more effectively to drive meaningful improvements in care, address evidence gaps and make information more accessible for both staff and patients.
- Embedding co-production with patients, service users and carers, supported by appropriate funding, clear accountability and opportunities to share best practice across the health and care system.
Our response also highlights concerns that changes proposed in the Health Bill could reduce opportunities for public participation in improving services and emphasises the importance of maintaining independent mechanisms for capturing and acting on people's experiences.
You can read our full submission below.