A major research award has been secured to evaluate a pioneering
approach to mental health support across Wales, aiming to improve
access, patient experience and outcomes for people in need of
care.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR), the £3.4m Programme Grant for Applied Research will
support a national evaluation of open access mental health
services over four years.
The move to open access services, designed to give people faster,
more flexible support when they need it, comes in response to
growing demand and long waiting times for mental health support.
Under the new model, people will be able to access support
without traditional referral routes, receive help on the same day
they ask and choose the type of support that best meets their
needs.
The Open Access Mental Health Support programme evaluation is
being led by NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, working in
partnership with the Centre for Trials Research (CTR) and the
School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University, Swansea
University, the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Public
Health Wales, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and
ProMo-Cymru.
This grant will support Wales to become the first country in the
world to test an open-access mental health system, giving people
same-day support and greater choice in care, with the potential
to transform mental health outcomes.
People with lived experience will play a central role throughout
the research via patient panels and stakeholder groups, shaping
the study and ensuring the work reflects the needs of communities
across Wales.
Ciara Rogers, National Director of Mental Health, Learning
Disability and Neurodiversity for NHS Wales Performance and
Improvement said: While evidence suggests that early
intervention and greater choice through an open access model can
improve outcomes, this approach has never been evaluated at
national scale.
This substantial investment will allow us to understand whether
open access mental health services are truly making a difference
for people in Wales by improving access to support, enhancing
experiences of care and delivering better outcomes.
Dr Rachel McNamara, Director of the Brain Health and Mental
Wellbeing Division, CTR and co-Chief Investigator for the
evaluation said: We are delighted to be working in partnership
with colleagues across the NHS, academia, the third sector and
Experts by Lived Experience to evaluate implementation of open
access mental health services in Wales, in line with our mission
to promote evidence-informed interventions for mental health and
wellbeing across the lifespan.
Tony Cope, Expert by Lived Experience and co-Chair of the Mental
Health Research and Evidence Network, added: The NIHR funding for
the Open Access Mental Health Support programme evaluation is a
vital opportunity to understand what genuinely works for people
using mental health support, and why.
I welcome this investment in evidence that values lived
experience, strengthens learning across Wales, and helps shape
services that are more accessible, responsive and rooted in what
matters to people.
The evaluation supports delivery of the Welsh Government's Mental
Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025 - 2035, which includes a
commitment to improving access to open access mental health
support.
Notes to editors
The Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University is publicly
funded by Welsh Government through Health and Care Research
Wales.
About the NIHR
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care
Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation
through research. We do this by:
- Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS,
public health and social care
- Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled
delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved
treatments and services
- Partnering with patients, service users, carers and
communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our
research
- Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to
tackle complex health and social care challenges
- Collaborating with other public funders, charities and
industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive
research system
- Funding applied global health research and training to meet
the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income
countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its
work in low and middle income countries is principally funded
through UK international development funding from the UK
government.
https://performanceandimprovement.nhs.wales/news/nhspinews/first-of-its-kind-funding-to-evaluate-open-access-mental-health-support-across-wales/
