NHiS appoints mental health associate director

NHiS has appointed Laurence Mascarenhas as an associate director of its mental health support service.

As part of the Commissioning Excellence division - which works with the NHS and patient organisations to plan and commission services - Mascarenhas' will be responsible for driving the changes outlined in the Five Year Forward View and ensuring mental health is treated equally to physical health.

Mascarenhas brings 20 years of experience working in the NHS, most recently having served as clinical commissioning manager for the NHS Merton Clinical Commissioning Group in London.

During this time, he has worked closely with local authorities to publish the Merton Mental Health Needs Assessment and helped to develop the Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Hub.

 Previously, Mascarenhas was service development and commissioning manager at NHS Surrey Primary Care Trust.

Sue Thomas, chief executive officer for NHiS Commissioning Excellence, said: “We are delighted to welcome Laurence to the team, where his track record in mental health commissioning will really strengthen our capability.

“Following Laurence's appointment, we can now offer enhanced support to the NHS, patient bodies, charities and commercial organisations to achieve our shared goals of improving patient outcomes and ensuring mental health is given the same priority as physical health.”