Service user experience in adult mental health: improving the experience of care for people using adult NHS mental health services

Improving your experience of mental health services in the NHS

Over the past few years, there has been increasing recognition within the NHS of the importance of improving the experience of people using services. A major development was the publication of the NHS Constitution, which sets out the rights of service users and the responsibilities of healthcare professionals. However, there is still more to do to make sure that everyone who uses NHS services has the best possible experience of care. This information describes NICE guidance to the NHS about the level of care you should expect from adult mental health services. This information covers care and treatment during and after your referral to NHS mental health services, and does not specifically cover 'primary' care from your GP.

NICE has also produced a quality standard made up of 15 statements describing high-quality care for adults using mental health services within the NHS in England. See NICE's quality standard on service user experience in adult mental health services for information that summarises these statements.