Optimising Mental Health Care for People With Neurological Conditions in the UK: Evidence-Based Models for Integrated Neuropsychiatric Services.

Abstract

Neuropsychiatry bridges neurology and psychiatry by addressing mental health symptoms arising from brain disorders. Psychiatric comorbidities are common in neurological conditions, yet access to appropriate mental health care in the UK remains fragmented. This review evaluates the evidence for current UK neuropsychiatric service models and explores strategies to improve integration and access.

A targeted narrative review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase (2000-2025) examined studies evaluating neuropsychiatric service models, including outcomes such as access, cost-effectiveness, patient outcomes, and clinician perspectives. Citation tracking was used to identify seminal models, including Sharpe’s integrated approach.

While liaison psychiatry services are present in over 90% of UK hospitals with emergency departments, many fall short of recommended staffing and capacity. Specialist inpatient neuropsychiatry units improve outcomes through multidisciplinary care but are geographically limited. Integrated neuropsychiatry services, such as the Oxford model, show the greatest clinical and economic promise by embedding psychiatry within neuroscience teams, though scalability is constrained by workforce shortages, fragmented commissioning, and inconsistent evaluation.

Integrated care offers the most effective means of addressing neuropsychiatric need. Achieving equitable access will require workforce expansion, cross-specialty training, unified funding mechanisms, and robust evaluation to ensure consistent, evidence-based care across the UK.