Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13 published

The NHS Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13 has been published. This sets out the planning, performance and financial requirements for all NHS organisations in 2012/13. As such it is a key guide to what PCTs, Clinical Commissioning Groups, as well as NHS Trusts, will have to focus on during the next financial year.

In previous years Mental Health often has received only a passing mention but this year there is a substantial section and one which organisations in the voluntary and not-for-profit sector will want to familiarise themselves with.

The mental health outcomes strategy, No Health Without Mental Health sets out that mental health should have parity of esteem with physical health and six objectives for improvement. PCT clusters need to consider the strategy to support local commissioning. For 2012/13 particular focus is needed on improving:

• access to psychological therapies as part of the commitment to full rollout by 2014/15 so that services remain on track to meet at least 15 per cent of disorder prevalence, with a recovery rate of at least 50 per cent in fully established services. During 2012/13 this will mean increased access for black and minority ethnic groups and older people, and increased availability of psychological therapies for people with severe mental illness and long term health problems;
• the physical healthcare of those with mental illness to reduce their excess mortality;
• offender health, working in partnership with the National Offender
• Management Service; and
• targeted support for children and young people at particular risk of developing mental health problems, such as looked after children

Meeting the QIPP challenge includes a continued focus on investment in high-quality mental health services, and we shall judge progress using the indicators in the Mental Health Performance Framework, monitoring nationally:

• the number of new cases of psychosis served by early intervention teams;
• the percentage of inpatient admissions that have been gatekept by Crisis
• Resolution/Home Treatment Teams; and
• the proportion of people under adult mental illness specialties on the Care Programme Approach (CPA) who were followed up within seven days of discharge from psychiatric inpatient care.