This briefing provides an overview of today’s publication of The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, the report from the independent mental health taskforce to the NHS in England, led by Paul Farmer, chief executive, Mind. The briefing includes a chapter-based summary, NHS Providers view and our media statement.

The report provides a comprehensive account of the challenges facing the provision of mental healthcare in the NHS and sets out a 10-year strategy for change based on the key themes that emerged during the Taskforce’s engagement work: prevention, access, integration, quality and a positive experience of care.  There are 58 recommendations designed to: 

• align the priorities and activities of six NHS arm’s length bodies to achieve parity of esteem between mental and physical health for children, young people, adults and older people
• solicit wider involvement across other national and local agencies to improve the social care, housing and employment offer for people with mental health problems
• focus on tackling mental health inequalities at local and national level experienced by people living in poverty, who are unemployed and who are already marginalised.

The executive summary is followed by thematic chapters containing the context and basis for the 58 recommendations. Annexes contain recommended principles for payment approaches for mental health set out the full recommendations organised by each national body responsible for delivery.