Mental health special interest group

A friendly, supportive community of colleagues from across the UK who share a passion for improving mental health care in primary care.

members-forum

Who we are

We’re a group of GPs and invited professionals who believe that mental health deserves thoughtful, compassionate, and informed care in every consultation. Our aim is simple: to support each other in delivering the best possible mental health care to patients, while also looking after ourselves as clinicians.

Meet our Co-Chairs

katherine-petersen

Dr Kathy Petersen

Dr Kathy Petersen [she/her] works as a GP Partner in Northumberland and is a strategic clinical lead for mental health, learning disability and neurodivergence for North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. She has completed the Core20PLUS Ambassador programme 2023-2024 and this work continues to shape her practice. Her interest in mental health started as a clinician seeing people who were living with mental health conditions and she continues to work clinically with a large caseload in mental health. She is also Co-chair of the special interest group for learning disability and is a clinical advisor and clinical representative for the RCGP. Her passions include mental health research, health inequality, parity of esteem and improving systems of care for all vulnerable people, and is actively involved in research where she can be has written this resource to support system working.

mark-morris

Dr Mark Morris

Dr Mark Morris is a GP with MRCPsych and has spent most of his GP career as a partner, alongside working out-of-hours. His clinical work focuses on people whose mental health needs fall between primary and secondary care. His key interests are health inequalities from service design and fragmentation of care, and layered, formulation-led approaches that help patients access the right support at the right time and reduce unnecessary escalation. He was a GP Training Programme Director for ten years and a GP trainer, and continues to teach on the local GP Vocational Training Scheme. His educational focus is on formulation skills, psychological tools, and relational factors in everyday general practice. He is the author of Mental Health for Primary Care: a practical guide for the non-specialist. He was PCN Co-Clinical Director, with lead responsibility for complex care and mental health and wellbeing. He designed and implemented a PCN-based Mental Health and Wellbeing Team for people in the “mental health gap,” and is now supporting the development of similar models within other PCNs/INTs. He also contributed to the Cornwall Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.

What we do

We get together regularly to learn from one another, explore new thinking in mental health, and support the mental health needs of our diverse patient populations. Activities include:

  • Quarterly online meetups on Microsoft Teams - relaxed, welcoming sessions with guest speakers, case discussions, and shared learning. 
  • A shared space (WhatsApp) where members can ask questions, swap resources, and share helpful articles or new guidance.
  • Educational contributions to RCGP events and resources - helping shape webinars, One Day Essentials, and CPD materials across the College.
  • Collaboration with national partners, including VCSE and NHS England, to make sure the GP voice is heard in mental health policy and service development.

Working with other SIGs

We regularly connect with other SIGs (for example, Adolescent Health, Creative Health, Health Equity, learning disability, Safeguarding, Neurodiversity, Prescribing) because mental health intersects with every part of primary care.

We also take part in RCGP conferences and contribute to wider College priorities wherever mental health has a role.

Wider work

Our members are involved in:

  • Shaping national conversations on mental health in primary care and across systems
  • Advising practices, PCNs, ICBs, academic teams, and NHS England
  • Supporting quality improvement and research projects
  • Training of peers and doctors and nurses in training

Much like the other SIGs many of our members also hold leadership eg practice, PCN, ICB, RCGP, academic roles — but there’s no expectation at all that you need one to join in.

Meetings

Our meetings take place every three months, at mutually convenient times which may be able to be changed to include as many people as possible for an easy space where people can join in from home with a cup of tea. We may also have extraordinary meetings if a speaker becomes available or new guidance emerges.

We always record sessions, so if life or work gets in the way (as it often does), you can catch up later.

  • Current events shaping mental health landscape eg Mental Health Act updates, NICE updates and consultations
  • Commercial and wider determinants of health
  • Research into mental health conditions
  • The reasonable adjustment digital flag and how this affects people with mental health conditions
  • Parity of esteem
  • Trauma informed care
  • Clinical coding, templates, emerging themes and how to embed them
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Severe mental illness
  • Neurodiversity & mental health
  • Children and young people
  • Psychotropic prescribing & deprescribing
  • Suicide prevention & crisis care
  • Layered formulation to ensure that people get the right care when they need it
  • The mental health education curriculum of the RCGP

Everyone is welcome to join these, whether you want to listen quietly or get actively involved, please make any suggestions about content or speakers.

Resources

We signpost to and contribute to a variety of mental health resources, including:


Joining the mental health SIG

We’d really love to have you on board. Please contact one of our Co-Chairs via email, including:

  • Your name
  • Job role
  • Contact number
  • A few words about your interest in mental health if you want to

You’ll then be added to our communication channels and can introduce yourself whenever you feel comfortable.