Rural mental health

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 16 Nov 2021 Closed: 9 Nov 2023 Parliament page
Improving the quality of mental health provision has been an increasing priority for the Government and the NHS in recent years. The NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019 sets out the NHS’s aim to advancing mental health equalities, and commits it to providing an additional 380,000 people … Read more
21 Recommendations
10 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
5 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
3 Nov
2023
Report published
18 May
2023
Report published
12 Jul
2022
Oral evidence
21 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
24 May
2022
Oral evidence
26 Apr
2022
Oral evidence
15 Mar
2022
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
12 Jul 2022
View on parliament.uk
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Claire Murdoch · NHS England Gillian Keegan · Department of Health and Social Care Jonathan Baker · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Rt Hon The Lord Benyon · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Samantha Allen · North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board Zoe Seager · Department of Health and Social Care
21 Jun 2022
View on parliament.uk
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Dr Jaspreet Phull · Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Dr Tim Sanders · Royal College of General Practitioners Jacqui Morrissey · Samaritans Kate Miles · DPJ Foundation Professor Jim McManus · Hertfordshire County Council Sarah Connery · Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
24 May 2022
View on parliament.uk
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Carol Stockman · Cotswolds Community Wellbeing Service Danny Hutchinson · Invictus Wellbeing Edward Richardson · Farm Cornwall Janette Smeeton · Derwent Rural Counselling Service Mrs Melinda Raker · You Are Not Alone Stephen Dodsworth · Darlington Farmers Auction Mart Trudy Herniman · Farmerados
26 Apr 2022
View on parliament.uk
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Alicia Chivers · Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution Barbara Piranty · Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Dan Mobbs · Mancroft Advice Project Dr Jude McCann · Farming Community Network Dr Rosie Allister · Vetlife James Russell · British Veterinary Association Karen Black · Off the Record Bristol Melanie Costas · Rural Mental Health Matters
15 Mar 2022
View on parliament.uk
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Dr David Rose · University of Reading Dr Rebecca Wheeler · Centre for Rural Policy Research (CRPR), University of Exeter Rachel Hutchings · Nuffield Trust Sarah Hughes · Centre for Mental Health
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health HC 248 18 May 2023 31 Response document linked
Recommendations & Conclusions
31 results
1 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Incomplete data on rural mental health indicates a serious failure of foresight.
The current data and information relating to the shape and nature of mental health specifically in rural areas, communities and occupations is regrettably incomplete or unavailable and there have been many calls over time for this to be rectified. Given … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
2 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Rural isolation creates significant mental health challenges for residents and agricultural workers.
While experience of nature and the countryside is consistently identified as potentially beneficial for people’s mental health, our evidence is equally clear that the isolation inherent in rural living poses a significant challenge to the mental health of those who … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
3 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Urgent, preventative action is warranted for rural mental health, despite no immediate crisis.
We believe that, while the available evidence does not reveal a mental health crisis in rural England, there are more than enough glaring gaps, and obvious red flags, to warrant urgent and meaningful action, aiming to achieve a degree of … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
4 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Addressing risks and stressors for farming and veterinary workers represents an immediate priority.
In particular, the long list of risks and stressors affecting the farming community and veterinary workers is perhaps the immediate priority, not least because there are real opportunities for substantial gains in this area with significant levers for change in … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
5 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Require DEFRA to establish a clear and active role in national suicide prevention strategy
DEFRA should be an active stakeholder in any national suicide prevention strategy, as the Department is responsible for populations and occupational groups arguably at higher-than-average risk of poor mental health and death by suicide. However, DEFRA does not appear to … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
6 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Joined-up public health approach essential for preventing suicide among agricultural and veterinary workers
Adopting a more joined-up approach to public health focused on early intervention could make a positive contribution to preventing suicide amongst agricultural and veterinary workers. It would need to ‘wrap-around’ people at potential risk, incorporating the NHS, other key public … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
7 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Create clear objectives and actions for agricultural and veterinary workers in national suicide prevention strategy
We are very concerned by the evidence indicating that agricultural and veterinary workers have a higher-than-average suicide rate compared to the rest of the population. Although more accurate information is needed, a clear enough picture Rural Mental Health 77 was … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
8 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Local government suicide prevention plans lack rural focus and ringfenced funding
Local government is carrying a substantial proportion of the responsibility for delivering the existing national strategy through local suicide prevention plans. However, it is unclear how much these have identified, or address, the specific needs of rural areas. Finally, we … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
9 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Ringfence local suicide prevention funding and commission ONS for real-time occupational suicide surveillance
We recommend that the Government: a) confirm the timeline and consultation process for revising the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy b) confirm and ringfence additional funding beyond 2023/24 for local suicide prevention to allow local authorities to contribute effectively to … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
10 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
DEFRA's prioritisation and resources for rural mental health policy remain unclear
Although DEFRA is clearly responsible for working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to ensure mental health policy and services are rural proofed, it is unclear what priority, resources and energy DEFRA has assigned to achieving impact … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
11 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Establish a national working group and set targets to improve rural mental health outcomes
DEFRA has produced a welcome framework and associated guidance for rural proofing policy but, for instance, claimed close working with DHSC and NHSE 78 Rural Mental Health over the new 10-year cross-government Mental health and wellbeing plan has not so … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
12 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Require joint DEFRA/DHSC team to integrate interventions with DfT and DSIT for rural mental health access
The solution to providing accessible rural mental health services is unlikely to be “one thing” but more likely a package involving innovation and imagination from both patients and service providers. The new joint DEFRA/DHSC rural mental health team should consider … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
13 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Rural communities face inaccessible NHS mental health services due to centralisation, transport, and connectivity
We conclude that NHS mental health services are often not fairly accessible for rural communities, with centralised services creating barriers to access, compounded by poor rural transport and weak digital connectivity.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
14 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Improve rural mental health service access through mobile provision, community involvement, and stigma reduction
Locally the NHS must focus on providing rural communities with good access to services in terms of location and/or via mobile or outreach services, through effective consultation and co-design, and bring the voluntary and community sector into the delivery landscape … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
15 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Open up NHS access for rural veterinary community, supporting flexible appointments and appropriate digital provision.
The NHS also needs to open-up access to the rural veterinary community to reflect restrictions on their ability to attend appointments, and support people who need to Rural Mental Health 79 continue practising. Better digital provision could improve service access … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
16 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Integrated Care Systems are crucial for improving rural mental health service response.
We believe Integrated Care Systems (ICS) will be crucial to determining whether NHS mental health services are able to respond better in future to rural communities’ needs.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
17 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Issue call for evidence on ICS effectiveness for rural mental health services by March 2024.
We recommend the joint rural mental health policy and delivery team issue a call for evidence on the effectiveness of the ICS-model for providing rural communities with access to mental health services and publish its findings with proposals to address … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
18 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Consult on proposals to expand preventative mental health support for rural children and young people.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have been under intense pressure for many years, but a lack of alternative rural social infrastructure and a fall in support for youth services means CAMHS is often the “only show in town”. … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
19 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Identify farming and veterinary mental health as priorities and develop specific NHS staff training.
It is very important for the farming and veterinary communities to feel that their circumstances are understood by NHS staff when seeking to access, or receiving, support (otherwise this may work against help-seeking behaviours). Charities with specialist-knowledge can gain people’s … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
20 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Provide detailed statement on NHS funding allocation formula for rural mental health needs.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to provide more funding for mental health and to ensure local mental health spending increases by the same proportion as overall increases in local health funding. Despite this, we are concerned by the possibility that … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
21 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Set out timeline and process to revise Index of Multiple Deprivation for rural deprivation.
We recommend that DEFRA and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities set out a timeline and process by which to review and revise the Index of Multiple Deprivation with the aim of more accurately capturing rural deprivation. The … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
22 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Rural communities receive minimal NHS mental health support during and after crisis events.
Crisis events can have short- and long-term effects on people’s mental health, but civil society groups told us NHS support is minimal or short-term, despite greater support being likely to help people deal more successfully with trauma. Rural health providers … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
23 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Adopt proactive approach to mental health implications of rural crisis and shock events.
However, as more extreme weather events are predicted to occur, the Government and NHS England need to adopt a more proactive approach to the mental health and well-being implications of crisis and shock events rather than just leaving it to … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
24 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Establish dedicated funding stream for rural communities' mental health needs during crisis events.
We recommend that by the end of this year, 2023: a) DEFRA and DHSC, working with all relevant public health, environmental and first responder stakeholders, assess the readiness of local plans for crisis events, and commence consultations on upgrading local … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
25 Conclusion
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Re-evaluate Environmental Land Management programme to embed mental health support for farmers.
Government policies and regulatory activity are key sources of stress for the farming community so Ministers should think hard about the impact of their decisions. The Environmental Land Management (ELM) programme is a case in point given the prolonged uncertainty. … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
26 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Fund and roll-out Mental Health First Aid training for front-line staff supporting farmers.
We hope that DEFRA’s attempt to reduce regulatory stress is a positive change in cultural practice. However, encouraging and investing in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for people dealing with farmers is a pre-requisite to ensure they are skilled … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
27 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Address occupational demands and cultural barriers preventing rural workers taking time away.
The Government should look at how to respond to the occupational demands placed on farmers, agricultural and veterinary workers and any cultural barriers that: prevent these workers from taking time away from work, are detrimental for mental health without opportunity … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
28 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Establish DEFRA working group to explore leave and support options for rural workers.
Although it will be challenging for the Government to address this given such occupations can involve lone workers in often isolated rural locations, we recommend that DEFRA sets up a working group to: a) explore options to establish or expand … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
29 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Government must accelerate rural transport strategy and address digital infrastructure shortfall.
Some of the challenges of rural daily life can have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing. The UK Government needs to address these, including through its various funding routes for levelling-up; but without more detail we cannot evaluate the … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
30 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Require Government to detail rural proofing, funding, transport, and digital health access plans.
We recommend that: a) the Government set out how rural proofing has been applied to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill; and work with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to rural proof the Levelling-Up metrics to ensure progress in rural … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details
190 Recommendation
Fourth Report - Rural Mental Health
Establish national mission, assess, and fund rural youth mental health services provision.
Given the over-reliance on CAMHS in rural areas as a response to mental ill- health amongst children and young people there is an urgent need to address the shortfall in youth services. Including youth services under the levelling-up agenda would … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
View details