ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the broad range of health and social care reforms introduced by New Labour and detailed in their key policy documents. It presents a brief discussion of some of the issues and contradictions, at the level of policy, raised in this account of the policy context for the development of mental health services. The policy context for mental health is 'dove-tailed' into the health and social care reforms, with additional emphasis placed on 'safety', and the involvement of the specialist, secondary services. Local authority social services have been given a duty of partnership, and a duty to promote the economic and social well being of their areas. Nationally, national service frameworks will be introduced to standardise consistency of access and quality of care, drawing on the best available evidence and the views of service users.
