The NHS in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has been working with local patients, staff, interested groups and partners to understand how mental health services could be designed.

Our priority is to deliver quality mental healthcare for patients in their own home or community whenever possible, rather than in hospital. This model of care is the national ambition set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. It is based on the latest clinical evidence, which shows this approach gives patients the best possible outcomes.

This is not new. We have been working with partners and investing in our community mental health services for many years. We have enhanced our community teams and developed better ways of working that help us meet the national goals – like making community services easier to access and giving people more choice and control over their treatment.

The way people need to access mental health services is very different – and we know that what works for one person will not be the right approach for another.

That’s why we want to hear from people who have used mental health services in the last three years, as well as from people who work within mental health services. We also want to hear from people who support people using mental health services as well as people who have no experience of mental health services.

We want to talk about the way mental health services are currently designed and provided, how mental health services and support are accessed and what the services could look like in the future.

Everything we hear during the discussions will help us understand what is important to people accessing mental health services as well as those who support them in a personal or professional capacity.

Join one of our conversations by booking your space at an online event