News

Plans were issued by the Department of Health for consultation on the role, structure and function of the National Institute for Mental Health in England last week.

NIMHE presents an opportunity to "reshape services and practice in line with the evidence base" by bringing together the research, development and dissemination functions of mental health services, according to the DoH.

The national director of mental health, Louis Appleby, who heads NIMHE, said there were two parts to the institute's work: research and service development, including training.

He added that there would be a mental health research network, with the "purpose of mounting bigger and better studies". The network would comprise a partnership of research institutions and a national network of clinical sites in local services.

In contrast, the service development network would link together regional development centres that already exist, while extending and co-ordinating their numbers throughout the country.

"For services on the ground, a front-line worker or user ought to be able to find out the latest services in an area and also be put in touch with existing services," said Appleby.

He said NIMHE's core unit was already in place, and that the mental health network and development centres were to be established progressively from spring 2002.