Commissioning local mental health services will improve with a new Whitehall agency, a government minister has promised. Care services minister, Phil Hope, said the new National Mental Health Development Unit would play a key role in meeting the need for more personalised services. The new agency will succeed the current National Institute for Mental Health in England from next month and will work to support the 10 new strategic health authorities which will work on regional and local delivery. The change follows a review of mental health service delivery. Key issues for the new unit will be promoting inclusion and increasing effective commissioning of services. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said the new unit offered a chance to broaden policy horizons. Mr Hope said: ‘We must actively promote public mental health and well-being, as well as spreading best practice and maintaining world-class mental health services everywhere.'