The role of the primary care network mental health practitioner in working with service users with depression: a service evaluation

Primary care networks (PCNs) work alongside other health and social care staff and organisations to provide integrated services to local populations. In 2021, the adult mental health practitioner (MHP) role was added to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which allows PCNs to claim reimbursement for the salaries of additional roles that aim to meet the needs of local populations. This article describes a service evaluation that explored the contributions of a PCN MHP to the management of service users with depression and whether the role adheres to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the management of depression in adults. The results provide a practice-based example of several characteristics of the MHP role and show that some elements of the role, such as matching treatment intensity with severity of depression, align with the NICE guideline. The authors conclude that the MHP role increases service users’ access to appropriate mental health services and support, may reduce time pressures on GPs and can improve integration and collaboration with other healthcare services.