e-mental health strategy developed

The Mental Health Network is developing a national strategy for e-mental health.

Speaking at the NHS South of England e-mental health conference this week, Mental Health Network deputy director Rebecca Cotton said a national ‘framework’ would be a platform for development and change in mental health services

She explained that if technology was going to make a difference in mental health, there needed to be national standards.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve done a lot on how we can improve e-mental health. There needs to be a national framework,” she said.

“It will be a shared vision of what people would like to be able to do with technology.”

Cotton explained that the strategy would be created in a two-stage process. The first stage looking at what people were already doing with technology in mental health and the second to design the comprehensive framework itself.

“We need to look at best practice, what are people already using,” said Cotton.

“The mapping work is currently underway.”

The organisation, which is a part of the NHS Confederation, has received funding from the Strategic Health Authority mental health leads’ group to do the first part of the development.

The idea for the framework was outlined in a discussion paper entitled ‘e-mental health- what’s the fuss all about?’ which was released by the Mental Health Network in January this year.

The paper says that the framework needs to look at technology, and assess “to what extent changes are being led by what users want, as opposed to a professional-led agenda”.

“It will look at how technology is currently being used, and an analysis of the gap that exists between this and the vision,” says the paper.

Cotton said the NHS Commissioning Board supported the idea.