From the main stage to the conference hall: what we heard about mental health at the NHS Confed Expo.

Last week, members of the PSG team joined colleagues from across the health and care system at NHS Confed Expo 2025. As ever, it was a valuable opportunity to listen, learn and connect – and to reflect on how we can continue working together to improve support for people with the most complex behavioural and mental health needs.

From the main stage, senior leaders, including the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, spoke about reform, integration, and workforce pressures. But what was striking – and disappointing – was how little attention was given to some of the most urgent issues affecting children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism. These are individuals still too often placed in inappropriate hospital settings or left waiting for the right support in the community. Despite strong ambitions for community-based care, these issues were noticeably absent from the spotlight.

In contrast, the conversations at PSG’s stand were encouraging. Across the two days, we heard directly from NHS colleagues at both system and provider level who are doing everything they can to deliver in increasingly challenging circumstances. There was real honesty about the pressures – including delays in discharge and a lack of appropriate placements – but also a clear sense of commitment to finding solutions.

We shared our recent research on out-of-area placements and delayed discharges – and it resonated. Many local areas recognise the patterns we’re seeing in the data: rising demand, growing inequality, and the need for fresh, person-centred approaches that support people to live in the community, closer to home.

We left Confed Expo with renewed determination. The national conversation must catch up with what local systems are seeing every day. These issues must no longer sit on the sidelines – it’s time they were brought to the centre.

Our recent research has shown growing points of crisis: more autistic children being admitted to hospital, an increase in out-of-area placements, and longer lengths of stay in acute mental health settings. But we also see pockets of excellence: local areas delivering creative, person-centred solutions that are making a real difference.

To find out how Positive Support Group can help your system tackle these challenges and support more people to thrive in the community, please contact Andrew Swartfigure, Relationships Director: andrew.swartfigure@positivesupportgroup.com