The MHN aims to improve the system for patients and staff by:
- Raising the profile of mental health and the service providers’ agenda.
- Using our memberships experience, skills and knowledge to influence, shape and challenge policy and inform system reform.
- Helping our members make sense of and implement existing policy.
- Sharing best practice.
- Influencing the public debate on mental health by providing a balanced view to the media and key influencers
We have an independent board elected by our members which is made up of a range of voices including providers, clinicians, service users and partner organisations.
Steve Shrubb is our network director and he oversees a dedicated team of staff with policy and communications expertise. Our Board helps to steer our work programme and includes a wide range of voices including providers, clinicians, service users and partner organisations.
We currently have 72 members which include mental health trusts, independent sector members and PCTs which deliver mental health services.
The majority of our members are from mental health trusts throughout England although membership is open to any provider of NHS mental health services provided they are already a member of the NHS Confederation. We are the only network to bring together organisations from across the statutory, private and voluntary sectors which makes our voice extremely powerful.