Consultation on the proposal to continue with integrated Adult Mental Health Services

The London Borough of Merton has a long standing arrangement with South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust for integrated adult mental health services.

Integrated arrangements allow social care staff to work alongside health staff in combined teams to meet the needs of patients and service users seamlessly. There has been a trend for councils to undo these arrangements, but the London Borough of Merton remains committed to integrated arrangements for adult mental health services as we believe this provides the best outcomes for our residents.

The arrangement is governed by section 75 of the NHS 2006 Act, which is why integrated arrangements are sometimes referred to as section 75 agreements. The arrangement will be overseen by the Mental Health Integration Board, a board made up of officers from the Council and the Trust.

The agreement is a legal contract between the two organisations. Each agreement has a lifespan, although they contain a clause that means that the agreement still holds unless or until it is ended or replaced. This consultation is about the renewal of the current agreement, which has expired.

The consultation is conducted jointly by the London Borough of Merton and South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.