What Could the New UK Mental Health Strategy Mean for Employers?

What Is the New UK Mental Health Strategy?

Back in May the department for health and social care announced plans to start the call for evidence that will shape a once-in-a-generation cross-government mental health strategy.

The main goal of which is to drive a fundamental shift towards prevention, while treating people earlier and faster.

Why Now? Rising Demand and Record Investment

And while speed matters, the potential impact of this announcement can only start to be appreciated once we consider the full picture.

That’s recent trends on prevalence, the cost of poor mental health and the resources required to make a difference.

To that, I believe the following should really grab your attention. The announcement comes against the backdrop of

-               Diagnosis of common mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression rising from 17.6% in 2007 to 22.6% in 2023/24.

-               2026 NHS mental health spending being forecast to reach a record £16.1 billion, a real-terms increase of around £140 million on last year.

-               At the same time and in line with the 10 year health plan, the government has already hit its target to hire 8,500 extra mental health workers 3 years ahead of schedule.

-               While also committing to making an additional £473 million available over the next 4 years for mental health emergency departments and community-based mental health centres.

The Role of Employers in Mental Health Prevention

Crucially, in a system that has previously been labelled as reactive, fragmented and inconsistent.

Outcomes and the support available for those who need it most, have often varied based on postcode.

Meaning that in many instances people only got help once they’d reached crisis point.

Invariably causing undue distress to the person, more strain on services that support them, alongside a longer, lasting impact on the environments they’re connected to… including the workplace.

My conversation with Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans highlighted how the impact of poor mental health extends far beyond the individual.

For example, did you know that on average, 153 people are affected every time someone dies by suicide?

With this in mind, the strategy explicitly mentions that it will also look beyond clinical settings to consider the role of schools, workplaces, the voluntary sector and local government in promoting positive mental health.

Moving from a system that first and foremost seeks to diagnose patients, to one that asks what support people need to live better.

For employers, this could represent one of the most significant shifts in mental health policy in decade.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a long-time advocate for prevention focussed mental health support in the workplace.

This will show up differently from one environment to another, for example the needs of retail and hospitality workers will differ somewhat to people working on a production line in a factory etc.

But in general, a preventative approach to mental health in any workforce will involve a combination of access to support, manager capability, clear pathways when someone is struggling and organisational conditions that protect mental health.

And while interventions differ in form, they share a common purpose, which is about creating multiple points of support before somebody reaches crisis.

All of this got me thinking about where the factors that affect mental health and wellbeing in the workplace will sit in the governments new strategy.

-               Will MHFA training receive similar legal recognition to physical first aid?

-               Could Employee Assistance Programmes become mandatory?

-               Do we need to think about formal industry specific guidelines for the roll out mental health strategies?

Finally, If prevention becomes the organising principle of mental health policy, what responsibilities should employers reasonably be expected to carry?

Prevention is often misunderstood as simply doing more wellbeing activity. In reality, prevention starts much earlier.

It involves job design, workload, leadership behaviours, psychological safety, autonomy and access to support.

The question is not simply whether organisations offer wellbeing programmes, but whether the conditions people work within support good mental health in the first place.

Help Shape the Future of Mental Health Support

The government's call for evidence which closes on July 10th presents a rare opportunity to shape the future direction of mental health support in the UK.

If prevention is to become more than a policy ambition, the voices of employers, employees, charities and practitioners will all need to be part of the conversation.

Have your say here.