Fixing the mental health act pathway: Why we need a whole-system approach 

The way we think about improving mental health crisis care is often too narrow, tending to focus on fixing individual, isolated problems. Whether that’s reducing paperwork, improving referral processes, or streamlining a single step in the assessment pathway. In reality, mental health crisis care is a system. And, like any system, its overall efficiency and impact are determined by how well its different parts work together. 

Right now, we are at a crucial moment in mental health reform. The upcoming changes to the Mental Health Act present an opportunity to rethink not just specific aspects of the pathway but the entire way the system functions. If we truly want to improve patient outcomes, we need to move beyond piecemeal solutions and take a whole-system approach.

Fixing the whole pathway, not just parts of it 

When we talk about improving Mental Health Act assessments, it’s easy to focus on the most visible pain points such as speeding up documentation or reducing admin burden for specific individuals like Approved Mental Health Professionals. These are all important, but if the solutions we implement don’t connect seamlessly with the rest of the pathway then we risk creating new inefficiencies elsewhere. 

For example, there’s little point in speeding up the time it takes to find an independent S12 doctor if the process of securing a hospital bed remains slow and fragmented. Likewise, digitising paperwork can reduce errors and delays, but if those digital documents don’t integrate with local NHS systems, professionals may still be forced to duplicate work manually. 

What we need is an approach that recognises how each part of the Mental Health Act pathway interacts with the others. Every improvement should be designed with the whole system in mind, ensuring that gains in one area don’t create bottlenecks further down the line. 

What better systems mean 

At its core, improving the Mental Health Act pathway isn’t just about making life easier for professionals — it’s about ensuring that individuals in crisis can access the right care as quickly as possible. Right now, delays and inefficiencies in the system mean that too many people experience long waits, unnecessary distress, or even end up in inappropriate settings like emergency departments or police custody. 

These challenges aren’t new. We know that emergency departments are overburdened, community mental health teams are stretched thin, and local services are struggling to balance demand with resource constraints. The pressures on NHS budgets are only increasing, with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) facing difficult funding decisions and the recent abolition of NHS England adding further uncertainty about the future of national strategy and timely decision making. 

However, this is precisely why a system-wide approach is so critical. If we can streamline assessments, we can reduce the pressure on emergency departments. If we can improve communication between different parts of the pathway, we can avoid unnecessary delays in treatment. And if we can digitise the entire process in a way that integrates properly with existing NHS workflows, we can cut down on duplication, inefficiency, and administrative burden. 

Why siloed solutions won’t work 

The reality is that a fragmented pathway benefits no one. If different parts of the system aren’t working in sync, then even the best-intentioned reforms won’t deliver their full potential. 

Take hospital bed availability, for example. If we focus solely on streamlining the process of identifying an available bed but don’t address the challenges of delayed discharges, the risk is that hospitals remain under pressure, limiting capacity for new admissions and creating the same bottlenecks down the line. Similarly, if a new digital tool makes it easier to complete Mental Health Act forms but doesn’t integrate with hospital systems, AMHPs and clinicians may still need to print, scan, and manually upload documents. 

The danger of siloed improvements is that they can sometimes have the unintended effect of making other parts of the pathway more difficult. Without a joined-up approach, delays and inefficiencies simply shift from one part of the system to another, rather than being removed entirely. 

Introducing Dr Finder: one piece of the bigger puzzle 

At Thalamos, we are committed to improving the entire pathway, which is why we’ve launched Dr Finder — a new product designed to help AMHPs quickly and easily locate, book, and pay independent Section 12 approved doctors. This is an area of the pathway that has long been challenging, with existing technology not integrating seamlessly with other parts of the care journey. 

But while Dr Finder is an important step, it is only one part of our broader vision. We are also focused on improving other key aspects of the Mental Health Act pathway, including Advance Choice Documents. These are essential parts of the process that impact how quickly individuals can access care and how their rights and preferences are upheld. 

At the same time, we recognise that no single organisation can fix the system alone. That’s why we are committed to working collaboratively with the wider ecosystem to create real change. Our electronic patient record (EPR) integrations, such as our work with Rio (an Access product), ensure that digital solutions don’t operate in isolation but instead connect with the platforms professionals already use. 

The whole system needs to come together in positive ways to create the change everyone wants to see. By taking a joined-up approach, collaborating with partners, and ensuring that digital tools integrate properly into workflows, we can move towards a future where the entire Mental Health Act pathway operates efficiently, effectively, and with patient care at its heart. 

A new opportunity to think bigger 

With changes to the Mental Health Act on the horizon, we have a rare opportunity to step back and reassess how the entire pathway functions. Rather than focusing on isolated fixes, we need to ask: How can we ensure that the whole system is working as efficiently and effectively as possible? 

This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about recognising that a joined-up, digital-first approach can deliver real improvements in care. It will help professionals work more effectively, reduce delays and, ultimately, ensure that individuals experiencing a mental health crisis receive the treatment they need, when they need it. 

For too long, mental health crisis care has been burdened by outdated processes, fragmented systems, and administrative inefficiencies. If we’re serious about fixing this, we need to stop thinking in silos and start focusing on the bigger picture.