Changes to Cognition and Mental Health in Ageing (CMHA) Services
From 1 October 2026, the Cognition and Mental Health in Ageing (CMHA) service will lower its age threshold from 75 to 70 years for all new referrals.
Why is it changing?
We are making this change to help older people access specialist mental health support earlier and to ensure they receive care that is tailored to their needs.
People aged 70 and over can benefit from services that specialise in mental health for older people, including support with cognitive difficulties, complex physical health needs, frailty, and care planning.
Earlier access to specialist support can improve outcomes and experience and help people receive the right care at the right time.
What are the benefits?
We expect this change to:
- Improve access to specialist older adult mental health services, so older adults can receive care that is tailored to their needs.
- Provide earlier assessment and holistic treatment for older people with complex physical, mental and/or cognitive needs.
- Improve support for families and carers.
- Reduce inequalities in access to care for our older adults.
- Create a more consistent experience across community and inpatient services.
- Support smoother care pathways and better overall outcomes.
What is changing?
Community services
- New patients aged 70 and over can be referred directly to CMHA community services.
- Referrals from GPs and other healthcare professionals will continue through existing referral routes.
- People who were previously known to services and have been discharged for three months or longer may be referred to CMHA if clinically appropriate.
- CMHA teams will continue to provide specialist assessment, treatment, care coordination and support for older adults.
Inpatient services
- The number of older adults inpatient beds will remain the same.
- Patients aged 70 and over who require admission will usually be admitted to a CMHA inpatient ward.
- Inpatient care and discharge planning will be provided by the CMHA wards. They will arrange follow up support after discharge by our Older People CMHTs, unless you were under the care of a different Trust team prior to admission; in this case, you will be followed up by your usual community team.
What does this mean for people already receiving care?
If you are already receiving care from Adult Mental Health Services and are aged 75 and over, your team will review your needs and discuss with you and your family/carer if they feel you would benefit from being transferred to the older people community mental health team in the same borough. Be assured that this transfer will not happen without your agreement. Decisions will be based on individual needs and made jointly by the teams involved to ensure continuity of care.
Why aren't all patients aged 70 and over moving to CMHA straight away?
Changing the age threshold is a significant change for services and we want to make sure that is made safely and based on needs. Our priorities are:
- To maintain continuity of care.
- To ensure services have the right staffing and resources in place.
- To allow transfers to be planned safely and carefully.
- To make sure decisions are based on individual clinical needs, rather than purely on age.
Patient and carer involvement
People using services will remain at the centre of decisions about their care. Clinical need, personal circumstances and patient preference will continue to be considered when deciding which service is best placed to provide support.
More information
Reducing the CMHA age threshold from 75 to 70 is an important step in improving access to specialist mental health support for older adults.
By providing earlier access to assessment, treatment and support, we aim to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and create a more joined-up experience for people accessing mental health services across south west London.
If you would like more information about this change, please contact us on adeshina.abdulsalam@swlstg.nhs.uk
You can also speak to a member of your care team, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
