Mental health facilitators in primary care

In the context of the National Primary Care Facilitation Programme, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has reviewed the membership of the Mental Health in Primary Care Network, and explored members' roles; the findings of the review are reported in this article. Researchers examined the activities undertaken by network members, and identified the proportion working directly with primary health care teams and those working strategically within health authorities. Education and training, health promotion, and liaison and linkworking were undertaken by many staff, while a few worked at a more strategic level. In order to increase the effectiveness of this model, a more focused approach is recommended, targeting those with responsibility for implementing changes and developing mental health care in primary care settings. Learning sets which involve primary care and mental health teams, and strategic work with health authorities, are also recommended.