Learning from others’ experiences

Our reviews of mental health data and statistics in England and in Northern Ireland revealed different levels of maturity of both data and systems.

In England, any organisation that provides NHS-funded care is mandated to submit data to the Mental Health Services (MHSDS) and NHS Talking Therapies (NHSTT) datasets under national information standards. These information standards are published under the relevant section of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and with delegated authority from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Supporting documentation details the format in which data must be provided, and there are teams that specialise in working with providers to improve their submissions. An NHS England guest blog that we published at the end of 2023 provides further information on this, including how they support providers to submit data, ensuring all data are submitted and improving data quality.

Our review of mental health statistics in Northern Ireland, undertaken in 2021, found a similar picture to that in Wales. This included a lack of robust mental health data and inconsistent IT systems and data collection practices across regions, all of which had hindered the development of official statistics. Like in Wales, this meant that the analytical needs of individuals and organisations were not fully met.

At the time of our report, a digital solution to improve the disparity in technology across the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland was in development. The Encompass programme is a Northern Ireland-wide initiative to introduce a digital integrated patient record across health and social care to improve patient safety and health outcomes.

Since our report, the ‘Mental Health Outcomes Framework’ has been under development. In a guest blog that we published in September 2024, the Chair of the Mental Health Outcomes Framework discussed both the outcomes-based approach to collecting standardised mental health data and the Encompass system as an enabler to ensure successful implementation of the framework.

The experiences of those involved in developing these data and systems in both England and Northern Ireland could be invaluable in helping those in Wales, both in terms of offering insights on the factors that have contributed to success and the challenges and barriers that have had to be overcome. We strongly encourage relevant parties in Wales to reach out where possible to take advantage of vital learning opportunities.