We differentiate between Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) contacts and mental health outpatient appointments because when we drew up the specification the source data (Unit Costs of Health and Social Care) gave different unit cost estimates for each. The source doesn’t give detailed definitions but the descriptions are as follows:
• Mental health services: Outpatient attendances, consultant services (follow-up face to face attendance)
and
• Face to face contact with community mental health team for adults with mental health problems
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.