We differentiate between Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) contacts and Mental Health Outpatient Appointments as they have different costs. Unit Costs of Health and Social Care describes the two services as follows: follows:
• Face to face contact with community mental health team for adults with mental health problems
• Mental health services: Outpatient attendances, consultant services (follow-up face to face attendance)
We interpret this to mean that the outpatient attendances are appointments with NHS hospital-based consultants and the CMHT appointments are with local community based multidisciplinary teams.