NHS reforms

NHS Confederation: PCNs perfectly placed to deliver integrated mental health

Following publication of the Mental Health and Primary Care Networks report by The King’s Fund, which addresses whether Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are ready to take on improve local physical and mental health outcomes, NHS Confederation’s PCN Network has backed them to be perfectly placed to do so.

With a network of around 1,300 PCNs outlined as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, intended to become the hub around which community and mental health services will organise themselves, the PCNs are set to play a significant role in the future health of the communities they serve.

In response to the report, Ruth Rankine, Director of NHS Confederation’s PCN Network, said: ““Covid-19 has caused a significant number of people to suffer a deterioration in their mental health and this report’s emphasis on better support for them is timely.

“The call for mental health and primary care services to work together more closely is one that Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are perfectly placed to deliver. We know that in areas where PCNs have fostered close relationships with mental health services, there have been real benefits for the delivery of local mental health support.

“We welcome recognition that NHS England’s Community Mental Health Framework is the roadmap for making this happen and PCNs should be in the driving seat to join up national policy development.”