This week Public Health England launched a new Mental Health, Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network (www.yhpho.org.uk/mhdnin). This website includes new profiling tools for Common Mental Health Disorders, Severe Mental Illness, Community Mental Health Profiles and Neurology. For the first time, these tools bring together the range of nationally reported data sources in one place, available to all, and present them by local area. People using the tools can see not only how their local area is doing in putting in place the right services to deliver the right outcomes to meet the needs of local people, but they can also compare themselves against their neighbours and other places across the country with similar needs.
This a big step forward in making this information about the state of local mental health services available in public to support local commissioners, providers and other stakeholders available to all. The aim is to work with local partners to help them use this information to make better decisions to improve outcomes for people who use services and for whole communities.
The Network will continue to develop and we will work with local partners to improve and extend the current tools and resources. The plan is to produce new profiles covering Children and Young People’s Mental Health, Co-existing mental health and addictions issues and Dementia later this year.
James Seward is National Mental Health Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network – Programme Lead at Public Health England
