Joint commissioning. Going halves

Joint commissioning and provision of mental health services in Somerset failed to produce significant benefits to users over its first two years. Users considered access to services deteriorated and concerns remain that there is no alternative to hospital admission in crises. Users and carers were included as non-voting members of the commissioning board, but users felt less involved in care planning than previously. The combined health and social care trust does not seem to have delivered anything which has not been achieved elsewhere without the transfer of social care staff to a new employer.