Swansea University will play a key role in evaluating a pioneering approach to mental health support across Wales which aims to improve access, patient experience and outcomes for people in need of care.
This four-year national evaluation of open access mental health services has just secured a £3.4m Programme Grant for Applied Research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The move to open access services, designed to give people faster, more flexible support when they need it, comes in response to growing demand and long waiting times for mental health support.
Under the new model, people will be able to access support without traditional referral routes, receive help on the same day they ask and choose the type of support that best meets their needs.
Katherine Cullen, from the Swansea Centre for Health Economics said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for researchers within SAIL and the Swansea Centre for Health Economics to be involved in dynamic research to support Welsh government policy to transform mental health care in Wales.”
The SAIL Databank, as the national Trusted Research Environment (TRE) for Wales, will play a central role by providing secure access to anonymised, linked population-scale data to support the evaluation of this programme.
Using the SAIL Databank, the programme will establish a national baseline of mental health service utilisation before the implementation of the new model using linked health records from the last 10 years. Further analysis will combine existing SAIL data with new data from Welsh health boards.
Ashley Akbari, Professor of Population Data Science Research and Head of SAIL User and Data Support Services, said: "By providing the Trusted Research Environment and expertise in data acquisition and linkage, SAIL Databank will enable a comprehensive picture of how open access mental health services are being implemented and the difference they make for people.
“One of SAIL's greatest strengths is our ability to securely bring together anonymised health and administrative data at a national scale, enabling robust longitudinal analysis that would not otherwise be possible. Working alongside our partners, we're able to support this first-of-a-kind evaluation that will inform future mental health policy and improve outcomes for communities throughout Wales."
The Open Access Mental Health Support programme evaluation is being led by NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, working in partnership with the Centre for Trials Research (CTR) and the School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University, Swansea University, the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Public Health Wales, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and ProMo-Cymru.
The NIHR grant will support Wales to become the first country in the world to test an open-access mental health system with the potential to transform mental health outcomes.
People with lived experience will play a central role throughout the research via patient panels and stakeholder groups, shaping the study and ensuring the work reflects the needs of communities across Wales.
The evaluation supports delivery of the Welsh Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025 - 2035, which includes a commitment to improving access to open access mental health support.