What is the way forward for a user-led approach to the delivery of mental health services in primary care?

Abstract

This paper describes a piece of action research which obtained users and GPs' views on the delivery of primary mental health care in Birmingham and integrated this feedback into service developments through the Practice Service Development Plan, a document submitted by all practices in Birmingham to the Family Health Services Authority (FHSA).The plan is a means whereby resources are allocated and data are collected across the city relating to practice activity. The interviews revealed that service users and GPs recognised the need for an improvement in service delivery, although the groups differed to some extent regarding which service features they wanted to see available in general practice. Despite the small numbers involved, the research has provided an essential starting point by identifying multi-professional training needs and facilitating the direct provision of funds and information to practices in order to enable the primary health care team develop a more systematic approach to mental health care which is also ultimately sensitive to the needs of service users.