An audit of the work of Primary Care Graduate Mental Health Workers (PCGMHWs) suggests they may be under‐utilised. Greater awareness of these new mental health workers and their role could mean improved access to care for greater numbers of people with mild to moderate mental health problems, reduced pressure on specialist secondary care mental health services and development of primary care mental health services.

The increasing demand for access to psychological therapies within primary care has resulted in greater awareness of the potential benefits of utilising bibliotherapy and self‐help materials as part of a stepped care approach. Book prescription schemes are one example of how bibliotherapy can be applied within primary care mental health services. Roisin Rossiter and Makala Balls reflect on the process of developing a book prescription scheme within Buckinghamshire. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Interface Ltd