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Developing partnerships in mental health

This Green Paper sets out proposals on ways of achieving further progress in developing partnerships in mental health care provision. It begins by setting out the basic objectives and policy for mental health care, emphasising the importance of co-ordinating health and social services. It then reviews the progress to date in developing successful partnerships and considers ways of building on this. The scope for making the current organisational framework more effective, through closer planning, closer working at practice level and targeted funding, is explored. Four options for structural change, designed to improve policy implementation and practice, are then described. They cover: (i) creating a new mental health and social care authority to purchase services; (ii) designating either health or local authorities as the single agency responsible for purchasing services; (iii) establishing local joint health and social care bodies; and (iv) agreeing delegation of responsibilities between the different authorities. Particular points to consider are noted and comments on the proposals are invited. Cites 26 references.