Proposed changes to local payment rules covering mental health services in the NHS

Monitor and NHS England are considering requiring commissioners and providers of adult and older people’s mental health care to adopt one of the following payment approaches in 2016/17:

• a payment approach based on year of care or episode of treatment
• a payment approach based on capitation

Under both approaches an element of payment should be linked to the achievement of agreed quality and outcomes measures.

Next steps

Your feedback will help inform proposals for the local payment rules in the statutory consultation on the 2016/17 national tariff, which will be published in early 2016.

Monitor and NHS England will provide written guidance and practical support outlining how these payment approaches could be developed and implemented locally.

We’ll publish a revised version of ‘Guidance on mental health currencies and payment’ alongside the 2016/17 national tariff consultation.