Dr Quazi Haque, CMO at Elysium Healthcare, reflects on a recent Labour Party Conference panel discussion on mental health and productivity.
It was a privilege to join a panel discussion at Labour Party Conference on what a mental health system fit for the future looks like – one that treats mental health support as essential for the wellbeing of our nation, but also for the growth and productivity of our country. These are my main takeaways.
Mental health is not binary; it exists on a sliding scale, and almost everyone will experience difficulties at some point in their lives. That truth underpins the argument for treating mental and physical health with equal seriousness. Yet parity still
remains out of reach. Too often, people only enter the system once they are acutely unwell, then lose support as soon as they improve. A genuine cultural shift is needed: one that is as much about changing attitudes and tackling stigma as it is about investment.
The case for prevention is overwhelming but there must also be recognition of the need to support people where community settings are not appropriate. Mental ill health costs the economy around £300 billion annually — almost twice the NHS budget. Some of this burden could be reduced through prevention, particularly for children and young people. However, the system should also be geared for earlier intervention to ensure that those who need more specialist support are receiving it at the right time – especially in the context of increasing demand for services.
Progress cannot come without cross-sector collaboration and data. Services are too often fragmented, leaving patients to navigate a patchwork of health, welfare and employment support that rarely joins up. In many areas, people present later and with more acute needs because they are unable to get access to the right services, at the right time. Commissioning decisions on where additional capacity can have the most impact are also often based on inconsistent or incomplete data. However, there is also growing appetite to learn from international examples such as the Trieste model, which prioritises community-based provision and moving commissioning away from bed-based forensic care towards more flexible, community services. However, such models require significant investment in community services, which at is currently not the reality in many regions – let alone distributed equitably.
Equity also matters. Access to care is still shaped by postcode, with resources unevenly spread and regional disparities entrenched. Addressing this requires investment in the workforce but also a rethinking of where services and resource can have the greatest impact.
But, while there are numerous challenges, there are also opportunities Digital technology is one promising avenue for change. Properly governed, online counselling, peer networks and self-help tools can extend support to young people who may never seek it face-to-face. But regulation is essential: among other things, there are growing concerns over untested AI and how quickly innovation can outpace oversight. As attention is turning to NHS Online, which the Secretary of State announced during his time at conference, we need to ensure that how we assess services adequately captures how digital platforms are actually being used.
There is a huge amount of work ongoing by dedicated people across the sector that are moving the needle toward better mental healthcare for all. What is clear is that prevention and improved productivity will also need cross-sector policy integration across health, housing, education and new aligned incentives across the whole pathway – from primary to specialist care. Ensuring this delivery happens at pace and with the right structures in place, will be essential to its success.