Wider policy network

To make real, long-lasting change to the government’s approach to mental health, we cannot do it alone. Rethink Mental Illness is a part of several crucial policy groups fighting together to improve the country’s mental health system.

The Mental Health Policy Group 

Rethink Mental Illness is part of the Mental Health Policy Group, a collective of six organisations working to improve mental health at a national level by influencing policy. 

The group also includes:

The group is chaired by each organisation on a six-month rotational basis with support from a secretariat provided by Mind.

What does the group do?

The group represent providers, professionals and the hundreds of thousands of people who use mental health services. 

We advocate for a cross-government approach to improve services.

We support early intervention and the prevention of mental health problems. 

We meet with the government, opposition ministers, and NHS groups to share learnings, offer support and challenge approaches.

To find out more about the Mental Health Policy Group, contact Jeremy Bernhaut, Head of Policy and Influencing at Rethink Mental Illness: jeremy.bernhaut@rethink.org.

 

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health 

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is a collection of MPs and Lords from across the political spectrum with an interest in mental health. The group's mission is to analyse and scrutinise the government’s approach to mental health and policy developments that will affect people living with mental illness.  
 
Rethink Mental Illness, in collaboration with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, serves as the secretariat for the APPG. Together, we organise and help shape the group’s agenda, facilitating important debates and events. These events provide Parliamentarians with opportunities to hear from colleagues, NHS organisations, health professionals, research bodies and people with lived experience of mental illness. Through fostering these discussions, the APPG ensures that mental health remains a priority on the parliamentary agenda.

The Richmond Group 

The Richmond Group is a coalition of 12 charities including Rethink Mental Illness, working together to influence health and care policy. It has a wider focus than the Mental Health Policy Group, covering social care, cancer, and long-term health conditions.  

The group promotes prevention to be at the heart of the health service and at the centre of all its policy-making.