When I was approached to chair the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Mental Health Commission, the proposal was that we should produce a report with recommendations.
But, as we embarked on our work, I had a growing sense that there was only a point in committing a year of my life to this if things actually changed as a result. Commission reports come and go. They are often praised. But too often things then carry on as before.
So I insisted on a different challenge – a set of tangible actions, accountability for delivery and a chance for real change.
My own family has experienced the trauma of dealing with loved ones suffering. I understand the barriers to finding help and the fear and isolation people can feel.
We were able to pay for help but how can you possibly justify a situation where people with money can get help but those who haven’t are unable to access support?
If we have the will we can all play our part in helping to end the injustice suffered by those with mental ill health – and I am very proud of the WMCA for taking the enlightened decision to lead the way on this.
A visit to New York to meet Gary Belkin, the architect of ‘Thrive NYC’ – their own city-wide mental health strategy – strengthened my determination to focus on delivery. He told me: ‘You need a mechanism to make sure it actually happens.’
I believe we have managed to create that and I am delighted that this month we have launched Thrive West Midlands, a concrete, detailed plan of actions for which real people are accountable.
An amazing team of people ranging from mental health professionals, academics and politicians to a diverse group of individuals suffering mental ill health, have worked with real passion on this and we have come up with concrete actions.
Yes, it is immensely ambitious, but the scale of need means we have to act. ‘Business as usual’ is just not acceptable.
I want this to be the start of a journey for the West Midlands.
What will make this work is the common commitment at leadership level, in the combined authority, health services, community and business.
In a unique collaboration with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, we have Supt Sean Russell as implementation director – an incredibly impressive person – to make sure this happens and hold the organisations to account, and I believe there is a real chance of things actually happening.
The action plan focuses on five themes: employment, housing, criminal justice system, health and care, and community involvement.
We want to give parity to mental and physical ill health and treat people on equal terms.
We will also launch a zero suicide tolerance ambition for this region. The impact of suicide on families is incalculable. We can be much more effective in saving people’s lives and we have a moral obligation to do that.
We were asked to look at the total cost of mental ill health to the region, and to consider how we could make more effective use of resources in order to achieve better results for people and to have a positive impact on the regional economy.
One of our key ideas is a trial of what we have called a Wellbeing Premium – a discount on an employer’s business rates in return for that employer committing to key evidence-based actions to improve the wellbeing of people at work.
We believe we will be able to demonstrate that, once companies have been encouraged to act through the receipt of the Wellbeing Premium, they will see the potential positive impact on their bottom line.
Once a company sees the value, then there will be no need for any continued public subsidy. So the Wellbeing Premium would be time-limited, which makes it more affordable.
Our aim is to build the evidence of what works over the trial period.
As well as focusing on keeping people in employment we also aim to do more to help people, who are on benefits because of their mental ill health, back into work.
We have worked alongside the Government’s Health and Work Unit to deliver a multi-million pound trial of individual placement and support – a scheme, with a proven track record, which helps people back into work and helps keep them there.
We will also use public procurement to encourage companies tendering for contracts to take action to improve the wellbeing of their workforce.
We have ambitious plans to improve links between mental health services and housing and an innovative scheme to address the underlying causes of offending behaviour to reduce re-offending and help people lead a better life.
We have a whole set of plans to improve the experience of people who need support from the NHS, with early intervention and embedding mental health into primary care as priorities.
The practice of shunting people around the country in the middle of a mental ill health crisis is abhorrent, it brings an increased risk of suicide and should be avoided in all but very specialist cases. So the action plan commits to ending this practice by the end of this year.
These are just a few aspects of a new approach that aims to focus on preventing ill health rather than repairing the damage once it’s done. Our health and care system is under unsustainable pressure.
It will need more resources in the years ahead, but we can also be smarter at acting to prevent ill health.
I want this to be the start of a journey for the region. The moral and the economic case for acting is unanswerable and the work we plan to develop will be internationally significant.
The West Midlands is now part of a global network delivering big mental health strategies, alongside places like New York, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Sydney.
NHS England’s former national clinical director for mental health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, told our launch on Tuesday, the world is watching – and we’re delighted about that.
Norman Lamb is chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority Mental Health Commission and MP for North Norfolk