Community Mental Health Services

Health and Social Care Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Parliament page
The Committee is undertaking an inquiry into community mental health services. The inquiry will examine what good looks like from the perspective of service users and their families/carers. The Committee would like the inquiry to shine a light on case studies of innovative practice and high-quality care across the country, … Read more
30 Recommendations
2 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
3 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 11 events
19 Mar
2026
Report published
19 Mar
2026
Correspondence
19 Mar
2026
Correspondence
11 Mar
2026
Report published
2 Dec
2025
Report published
12 Nov
2025
Correspondence
10 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
21 May
2025
Oral evidence
23 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
12 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
12 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
10 Sep 2025
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Oral Evidence
Caroline Allnutt · Department of Health and Social Care Gareth Harry · NHS England The Baroness Merron · Department of Health and Social Care
21 May 2025
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Oral Evidence
Darlington Kudakwashe Zvionere · Black Minds Matter UK Janine Smith · Navigo Health and Social Care CIC Karyn Kirkpatrick · KeyRing Living Support Networks Michael Crilly · Social Health & Community Inclusion at Life Rooms (Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust) Mr Abdirahim Hassan · Coffee Afrik CIC Mr Jake Mills · Chasing the Stigma Professor Belinda Lennox · University of Oxford Professor Stephen Pilling · University College London
23 Apr 2025
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Oral Evidence
Christian Taylor Christina Taylor Councillor Lorraine Francis · Bristol City Council Duncan Tree · Association of Mental Health Providers Penny East · Think Ahead Peter Devlin · Essex County Council Stephen Parker · Turning Point
12 Mar 2025
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Oral Evidence
Dr Emma Tiffin · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board Dr Lade Smith CBE · Royal College of Psychiatrists Elizabeth Sutton Eve Mair Jane Yeandle · Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Rt Hon Sir Norman Lamb · South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Samantha Allen · North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board Steve Forsyth · Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
12 Feb 2025
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Oral Evidence
Chris Frederick Dr Courtney Buckler · National Survivor User Network Francesca Harry Dyson · The McPin Foundation Ian Callaghan Lucy Schonegevel · Rethink Mental Illness Miss Kadra Abdinasir · Centre for Mental Health
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report - Community Mental Health Services HC 566 2 Dec 2025 32 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
Clear
5 Conclusion Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Co-production and peer support essential for trusted and effective mental health services
Services shaped and delivered with, and by, people with lived experience of mental illness are more trusted, accessible, and effective. Meaningful co-production—where power is shared and lived experience is valued—is essential to high-quality care. Peer support, in particular, is a … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but then discusses a plan for scaling up community-based mental health centres following evaluation of pilots, which is unrelated to the committee's conclusion on the value of co-production and peer support.
Department of Health and Social Care
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8 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Commission independent evaluation of the Community Mental Health Framework's implementation and impact.
We recommend that the Government changes its current approach and commission an independent and comprehensive evaluation of how the Community Mental Health Framework has been implemented and its impact by the end of the financial year. This should not be … Read more
Government Response
The government states it accepts the recommendation, but its response describes NHS England publishing new guidance on a 'personalised care framework' and the role of a 'named worker' within multidisciplinary teams. It does not address the specific recommendation to commission an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the Community Mental Health Framework's implementation and impact.
Department of Health and Social Care
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10 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Establish a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre in every community.
We believe there should be a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre in every community. (Recommendation, Paragraph 92)
Government Response
The government states it partially accepts, but its response discusses improving access and waiting time standards for mental health services generally, and eliminating long waits for children and young people's community services by 2026-27. It does not address the specific recommendation for a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre in every community.
Department of Health and Social Care
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11 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Extend 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre pilot programme with funding and finalise metrics.
The design of these centres must be informed by the learnings from the pilot programme so they can be tailored to the needs of their communities. In order for the learnings to be robust, the 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but then responds by discussing physical health outcomes for people with SMI and annual physical health checks, completely failing to address the call for extending the 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre pilot programme or finalising its evaluation metrics.
Department of Health and Social Care
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12 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Develop and publish a clear roadmap for national scale-up of pilot programme.
The Government should develop and publish a clear roadmap for the national scale-up of the pilot programme. In its response to this report, we expect the Government to state how the roadmap will be developed and the timeframe for publication. … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation but then details its commitment to reforming the Better Care Fund, including changes for the 2026-27 financial year, without addressing the specific request for a roadmap and timeframe for the national scale-up of the pilot programme.
Department of Health and Social Care
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13 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Set clear deadline for publishing the Modern Service Framework for mental health in 2026.
We welcome the commitment in the 10 Year Health Plan to develop a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for mental health, with a focus on the needs of people with severe and enduring mental illness in particular. However, without a clear … Read more
Government Response
The government explicitly states it does not accept the recommendation. However, its reasoning discusses the voluntary nature and governance of Section 75 arrangements, which is entirely unrelated to the committee's request for a deadline for the Modern Service Framework's publication.
Department of Health and Social Care
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14 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Detail lived experience involvement and integration of MSF with wider support systems.
We would also like the Government to set out how people with lived experience will be involved in its development and how the MSF will be integrated with wider systems of support including those provided by the VCFSE sector and … Read more
Government Response
The government states it accepts the recommendation, but its response focuses on supporting Integrated Care Boards with multi-year commissioning arrangements and a strategic commissioning development programme in 2026-27 to strengthen partnerships with VCFSE organisations. It does not address how people with lived experience will be involved in MSF development, how the MSF will integrate with wider systems, or how it will incorporate learnings from Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre pilots.
Department of Health and Social Care
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19 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Reinstate annual physical health check target for SMI and embed health outcomes in Modern Service Framework.
NHS England should reinstate the annual physical health check target for people with severe mental illness (SMI) in operational planning guidance. This target has driven significant progress and remains essential for accountability, monitoring co-morbidities, and reducing preventable deaths. Building on … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but then responds by discussing staff retention, workforce pressures, and the 10 Year Workforce Plan, which are unrelated to the recommendation to reinstate physical health check targets for people with SMI or include physical health outcomes in the Modern Service Framework.
Department of Health and Social Care
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20 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Review and reform Better Care Fund investment structure and level with a clear timeline.
Six months on from our Adult Social Care: The Cost of Inaction report, we are frustrated the Government is yet to review the structure and level of NHS investment in the Better Care Fund (BCF). Whilst we welcome a commitment … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but then responds by outlining its commitment to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which is completely irrelevant to the committee's call for reviewing and reforming the Better Care Fund and its funding cycles.
Department of Health and Social Care
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21 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
Expand Section 75 use to enable wider budget pooling, including housing and education services.
The Government should expand the use of Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 by enabling and encouraging more widespread pooling of budgets between NHS bodies and local authorities. This expansion should support the inclusion of a broader range of … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but then responds by discussing the vital role of mental health social workers and how the 10 Year Workforce Plan and upcoming MSF will address workforce planning and clinical standards, completely ignoring the recommendation to expand Section 75 arrangements for budget pooling and integrated service delivery.
Department of Health and Social Care
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22 Recommendation Not Addressed
4th Report - Community Mental Heal…
VCFSE organisations are not consistently treated as equal partners by commissioners.
VCFSE organisations make a vital contribution to integrated, person-centred care for people with severe mental illness, yet they are not consistently treated as equal third partners by commissioners and providers. This must change. Genuine partnership requires co-production from the outset … Read more
Government Response
The government states it accepts the recommendation but then discusses general accountability, new operating models, and patient feedback mechanisms for mental health services, without addressing the specific call for VCFSE organisations to be treated as equal partners with equitable funding and co-production from the outset.
Department of Health and Social Care
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Government Response AI assessment · 32 of 30 classified
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 11
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 2
Not Addressed 11
Rejected 1
Total 30 recs + 2 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
19 Mar 2026 Correspondence from DHSC - Mental Health Expected Spend
Parliament page
19 Mar 2026 Correspondence from DHSC SofS - Mental Health Expected Spend
Parliament page
12 Nov 2025 Correspondence from Baroness Merron re Follow up on 10 September session
Parliament page