About POMH
If you have any questions, please contact the team.
Since 2005, POMH has helped clinical services maintain and improve the safety and quality of their prescribing practice, reducing the risks associated with medicines management.
Services that are members of POMH take part in audit-based Quality Improvement Programmes (QIPs), which focus on specific topics within mental health prescribing.
Members receive customised reports for each audit they take part in, where performance in relation to evidence-based standards is benchmarked anonymously against other participating Trusts and healthcare organisations.
We engage clinicians and clinical teams in a supportive, quality improvement process, closing the gap between best practice standards and actual clinical practice.
Along with customised reports, POMH members are given access to a range of change interventions; provisions that have been specifically designed as a result of individual QIPs, to help improve local practice.
Some of the additional benefits for members:
- customised slide-sets for easier dissemination of findings to local teams
- free places on webinars introducing our QI programmes, with clinical background presentations from leading experts and opportunities to review draft audit tools and practice standards in advance of data collection
- access to the members’ area of our website and catalogue of change intervention tools.
NHS Trusts also have the option of showcasing participation in their Quality Accounts.
For further reading we’ve produced a more detailed document, About POMH (PDF), explaining how the project works.
Our Healthcare Improvement Plan (PDF) provides an overview of our project aims and activities and how we plan to acheive them. It also includes information on the steps taken to reduce the burden of audit.
POMH is open to all Trusts and healthcare organisations in the UK and Ireland that provide specialist mental health services.
To date, over 60 mental health NHS Trusts, health boards, and independent services have joined the programme.
The membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December each year. Members can opt for a one-year or three-year membership term (we offer a discounted rate for a three-year membership).
A single fee allows participation in all our Quality Improvement Programmes throughout the year.
Membership fees for 2025
- One year: £6,400 + VAT
- Three years: £18,200 + VAT (discounted rate)
Application form
To apply, please complete our online form: POMH Membership Application 2025.
You can also download our Recruitment Leaflet (PDF) for a printable overview of POMH, our fees and the benefits of membership.
View our list of current members to see which services have already joined POMH.
What is a QIP?
POMH identifies topics within mental health prescribing practice, based on recommendations by member Trusts and partner organisations.
For each topic, we develop and run a Quality Improvement Programme: a clinical audit cycle, producing customised reports and change interventions, to help our members measure and improve quality in that area of practice.
How are topics for QIPs chosen?
We observe the following criteria when adopting a topic:
- Relevant to the implementation of particular NICE guideline(s);
- High cost, high volume, or high risk treatment
- Seen as a clinical priority for Trusts nationally by clinicians
- Seen as a clinical priority for Trusts nationally by service users
- Change in practice that achieves the standards is likely to have a positive impact on clinical care and outcomes
- Likely variation in practice across Trusts
- Clear standards can be formulated that relate to prescribing practice
- It would be practical and feasible to collect the relevant audit data
Can I suggest a QIP topic?
We welcome suggestions from our members on QIP topics. To propose a topic, please contact us with your suggestion, including any supporting information that will help us determine whether the topic meets the eight criteria above.
The topics we've already identified are listed on our QI programme calendar planners on our POMH resources page.
POMH was originally funded by the Health Foundation under its ‘Engaging with Quality’ initiative.
The project is now funded solely by subscriptions from member organisations. POMH does not receive funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
POMH is managed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI).
Information Governance
Our online privacy notice gives you detailed information on when and why we collect personal information and how we use it. Our data control statement (PDF) provides further information on how data are used in our reports and for quality improvement.
POMH collects pseudonymous patient data for the purpose of audit and quality improvement. We have completed a Data Protection Impact Assessment (PDF) to review our management of these data. As POMH does not collect confidential patient data requiring CAG approval under section 251, the National Data Opt-Out does not apply.
Data collection is via an online audit tool using Formic’s Fusion Survey software. Formic complies with all NHS information governance requirements including ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
