From commitment to reality: early intervention in psychosis services in England.

Aim: To evaluate the extent to which Government plans for early intervention in psychosis services have been realized in England, the UK.

Methods: Data from the Mental Health Mapping Exercise and Department of Health quarterly performance monitoring were used. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the nine regional early intervention in psychosis Leads from the National Institute for Mental Health in England in order to ascertain their views and experiences regarding early intervention in psychosis service development.

Results: By 2006 118 teams were operating. However, the staffing and skill mix of each varied considerably with only half reporting that they met all the criteria set out in the original policy guidance.

Conclusion: Although an impressive number of services have been developed, concerns remain regarding their size, configuration and functional capacity.