The Association of Mental Health Providers (AMHP) has created the first-ever complete picture of mental health service provision across England, via a freely-available interactive map.

Designed in partnership with mapping and spatial analysis experts, Esri UK, the map combines data from the AMHP’s members and other mental health service providers, alongside demographic data, helping users to understand where gaps in provision are located and building cases for future government funding. 

AMHP is the national representative organisation for voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) providers of mental health and wellbeing services in England and Wales.

The map will be used by Integrated Care Systems (ICS), local councils, the Government, and other decision and policy makers in the mental health and social care sector, with all stakeholders having access to compelling data to help with planning, strategies, and funding from national to local level.

Meeting a need

The tool is expected to be particularly valuable to the 42 integrated care systems (ICSs), which require an accurate, integrated picture of their populations and healthcare services.

Using the map, they can now reveal areas where there is insufficient mental health service provision using robust data and make informed commissioning decisions.

The tool integrates data from NHS, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), voluntary, community, and social enterprise providers, plus other population and demographic data from the ArcGIS Living Atlas, which includes Census data and some curated data sourced from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). 

Currently it is mapping 843 CQC-registered services and 884 AMHP member branches.

And initial findings suggest there is a level of unmet need for two million people.

Kathy Roberts, chief executive of the AMHP, said: “With this tool revealing there are 884 VCSE organisations supporting the 843 CQC-registered providers, it will be a vital element in planning and funding regional health service provision.

“Crucially, the tool will unlock patterns and identify gaps in mental health service provision to inform decision making within ICS.

“Feedback from our 300 plus members, delivering over 3,000 services locally, regionally, and nationally, has highlighted concerns that their social care and support services, keeping people safe and well in the community, have been underestimated and have not been recognised in funding analysis.

Reducing inequalities

“As a result, the charitable mental health sector is often overlooked when it comes to allocating funding.

“However, we know one in eight people in the community receive support from a VCSE mental health service provider and now, through this tool, we can evidence what services, offered by which provider, are being delivered where. 

“Through this powerful new tool, we look forward to reducing health inequalities by improving access to mental health services within local communities.

“As a result, we believe it will reduce the pressure on acute, crisis and urgent services within the NHS.”

Duncan Booth, head of health and social care at Esri UK, added: “By integrating different data sources and giving the data a location, a much-needed ‘single view of the truth’ has been created, providing mental health service decision-makers with valuable new insights.

A single view of the truth

“Combining AMHP’s access to service provider data with Esri UK’s geospatial expertise, means previously-unconnected data can now be visualised using an easy-to-use map interface, allowing users to make informed decisions and allocate resources more effectively.

“Creating this single view has previously presented a significant data access and technical challenge. But Esri UK has geocoded, cleaned, and prepared the data so it can work seamlessly within a common platform.

“Mental health provision is a key consideration for all ICS and the development of this integrated national dataset will no doubt be incredibly useful for them and deliver positive outcomes.”