6 Deferred

Co-design new mental health care models with experts by experience

Recommendation
Our conclusions in this Chapter try to reflect what service users told us they wanted. This must be reflected in service design. As new models of care are commissioned and implemented, these must be co-designed with experts by experience to ensure services deliver the high quality care such users need and deserve. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) Recent reforms to Community Mental Health Services
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation but defers concrete action, stating that development of the Mental Service Specification for SMI is underway. Timelines will be confirmed in due course, incorporating findings from a review and community mental health centre evaluation due in summer 2026.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government Deferred
The government accepts this recommendation. The government recognises the importance of developing the MSF for SMI, as part of our new approach to mental health, and it is an important component of the 10 Year Health Plan. Development of the MSF is underway, and we will confirm timelines for publication in due course. We must allow time to build in findings from the independent review into prevalence and support, and most critically, the evaluation of the community based mental health centres, which is due to report in summer 2026.
Addressee Bodies
Department of Health and Social Care
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.7 yr
Report published 02 Dec 2025