Guidance for Commissioners of Financially, Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Mental Health Services

This guide supports commissioners, local health authorities and providers to think broadly, but practically, about building sustainable, resilient communities that have the potential, over time, to reduce mental ill health.

Sustainable commissioning involves making sure services make the most effective use of financial, environmental and social resources. This includes commissioning services that support secondary (reducing relapse) and tertiary (improving rehabilitation) prevention. It is these aspects, rather than primary preventative measures, that are the focus for this guide. The issue of primary prevention is discussed in the Guidance for commissioning public mental health services.

This guide has been written by a group of experts in mental health and sustainability, in consultation with service users and patients, and strengthened by input from a local government and public health perspective. The content is primarily evidence-based but ideas deemed to be best practice by expert consensus have also been included. By the end of this guide, readers should:

• understand the concept of sustainability in mental health care, and how using this commissioning framework can create sustainable services
• be aware of the legislation relating to sustainability that the NHS is required to meet
• understand what sustainable commissioning looks like in practice
• understand how and why improving the sustainability of mental health interventions will contribute to achieving the aims of both the mental health, public health, NHS, and social care strategies, as well as improving quality and productivity
• be able to commission sustainable mental health services and interventions.

Produced jointly by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare with the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health.