Evaluation of Oxfordshire CMHF and Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (OHFT) is seeking to evaluate the impact of the implementation of its transformation work in line with the Community Mental Health Framework, including the establishment of an Integrated Mental Health Pathway .

The Oxfordshire model has three key elements within the overall programme :

1. Developing the individual diagnostic pathways that will develop the new Integrated Community Mental Health Pathway
2. Developing the Primary Care Mental Health teams in localities.
3. Developing the Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners ( ARRS) teams

Oxford Health (OHFT) wants to evaluate these projects as the model being implemented is innovative and transformative, focusing on a trauma-informed, holistic approach to care rather than more traditional clinical models. OHFT seeks to understand how the impact of this service model varies from more traditional models in addition to meeting previously unmet need, and the impact this has had on people's lives and recovery.

OHFT would like to understand and also evidence a good return on investment, including in comparison to alternative service models employed elsewhere. It is important that this analysis focuses on and articulates the individual impact of specific types of roles as part of a blended model as well as service outcomes as a whole. Given staffing challenges across the NHS and mental health services in particular, every employment has a high opportunity cost, and it is important for OHFT to be able to justify this and to develop an evidence base for the efficacy of the service model.

The evaluation must include baseline analysis (prior to any changes being implemented) to enable a useful contrast with the current state of operation. We expect the evaluation to run for a period of approx. 14 months to conclude in 2024.