It’s very encouraging to hear the announcement about the new network of community mental health clinics in England (Editorial, 6 August). A public health approach to mental health is long overdue. The forthcoming mental health strategy is an opportunity to grasp this nettle; for too long these opportunities have been missed. This is in stark contrast to the recent announcement of a major expansion of community mental health support in England. Successive governments have insisted that mental health should be given the same priority as physical health, yet each year psychiatric services undergo ever more cuts to funding, services and beds.