NHS Reset: Mental health must remain high on the healthcare agenda

I am proud that the NHS Reset campaign will highlight the needs and work of mental health services. 

The impact of COVID-19 on mental health services will be felt long after the physical health crisis subsides. Self-isolation, financial insecurity, bereavement, and increases in substance abuse and domestic violence will affect people with pre-existing mental health conditions as well as the general public and our workforce. We are already seeing demand rise, and a higher level of acuity in patients who are presenting.

There has been resounding agreement from the sector that we cannot return to business as usual, and that the opportunities this crisis has thrown up cannot be wasted.

Our asks

For the Mental Health Network, our campaigning will be geared towards realising the parity of esteem. Acute services were promised they would receive 'whatever it needs, whatever it costs' to fight COVID-19 and we are using our strand of the NHS Reset campaign to call for mental health services to receive the same level of support.

We are advocating for:

• inclusion of the views of people with lived experience when developing and embedding innovations that have worked well during the current crisis
• support for learnings gained from the national modelling of anticipated demand for mental health services that is currently underway
• the financial commitment from the centre to meet additional demand
• partnership and system working to ensure adequate service provision
• support for the wellbeing of our staff and a focus on attracting new staff into mental health
• a cross-government approach to supporting the mental wellbeing of the population, which includes social care, public health, employment, housing, education, the criminal justice system, and social security.

We will also draw attention to the wider social and economic determinants of mental wellbeing and the ways that post COVID-19 recovery must seek to mitigate against factors such as debt, unemployment, poverty and homelessness.

Mental health has risen up the list of priorities of the NHS, the government and the public over the past few years. This is largely due to the commitment, hard work and dedication of its leaders. As the government is forced to make difficult fiscal decisions over the next few years due to the economic impact of the pandemic, we cannot let mental health slip down the priority list. The NHS Reset campaign will add to the sense of urgency around this as well as showcase some of the truly excellent work members have been doing through these difficult times. 

Sean Duggan is chief executive of the Mental Health Network. Follow him and the network on Twitter @SeanDugganMHN and @NHSConfed_MHN