NHS Cambridgeshire's mental health services

Why is mental health so important to NHS Cambridgeshire

Mental health is fundamental to good health, well-being and quality of life. It impacts on how everyone thinks, feels, communicates and understands. It enables service users to manage their lives successfully and live to their full potential. There is no health without mental health.

It is estimated that one person in four people will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their life (WHO, 2001). Mental health problems account for up to a third of all GP consultations (fact sheet on “Mental Health in the European Region”, WHO, 2003).

For all of the services commissioned by NHS Cambridgeshire, the aims and objectives of commissioners are to obtain services for their local populations that are:-

• Safe
• Equitable
• Consistent with modern best practice
• Promote the “recovery” model
• Offer a choice of treatment options as appropriate to individual patient needs
• Service user centred