No abstract

Recent growth in the mental healthcare market has led to traditional service providers havingto rethink their conventional approach. The rate at which the current market is changing, as well as the impact of the financial downturn, call for an urgent review of the status quo. This article seeks to highlight the opportunities offered by an integration of the services currently supplied by multiple providers. It is proposed that this will lead to a more efficient mental healthcare service.

With mental health being a prominent issue for the NHS, it is necessary to consider improvements for patient care packages. Having conducted research into the mental health sector and the external providers of care, an analysis must be undertaken of the various external providers. In this article, we look at key questions that have arisen from our research regarding threats and opportunities in the mental health sector for foundation trusts. In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to choose relevant documents to analyse. Criteria were drawn up, and a methodology is outlined. Thematic analysis is used to understand the relevant data from organisations in the private, voluntary and social service sectors. This is then related back to foundation trusts, to recognise where there is room for improvement. Significant areas of interest are services developments, understanding the environment within which one operates and understanding theuser of such services. By analysing various organisations, we will go on to draw substantial conclusions regarding improvements that can be made for foundation trusts within the mental healthsector.

Mental health is a pressing issue with one in four adults in Britain experiencing at least one diagnosable mental health problem in their lifetime. Recent changes in the mental healthcare market have led to an increase in the variety of providers of care and a diverse supply base. Themain market forces in the mental health sector are NHS trusts, foundation trusts, the private sector, and the voluntary sector. This article analyses the providers and their services, with an evaluation of their overall effectiveness. The authors aim to analyse what services are on offeror are required by the range of organisations, in order to make a set of possible recommendations for a foundation trust looking to improve and expand on their current provisions. Conclusions will be drawn with regard to the opportunities and threats in the mental health sector.