The five charities behind the We Need to Talk campaign today welcomed Patricia Hewitt’s speech on psychological therapies but called for more investment in making effective therapies available nationwide.

Speaking in London, the Secretary of State for Health announced that ten more sites would join Newham and Doncaster in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme and that people of all ages would be able to benefit from the scheme.

The five charities are calling for psychological therapies to be available on the NHS to all those who could benefit from them. Waiting times should be measured and primary care trusts held accountable for reducing them.

This requires a step change in how much money is invested in psychological therapy. Research published just last month* shows wide variations in the number of therapists who are available to the NHS. We need to act now to fill those gaps and make equal access to proven treatments possible for everyone.

Paul Corry, Rethink's Director of Public Affairs, said: "We know that nationwide investment in talking therapies could make a huge difference to the lives of people with severe mental illness. There is now a clear economic and health case for such an approach. Yet for too many of Rethink's members and supporters, CBT stands not for cognitive behaviour therapy but 'can't bloomin' geddit'.

“We need sustained, national investment in talking therapies to give people with severe mental illness the best chance of recovering a good quality of life."

Mind Chief Executive Paul Farmer said: “People still wait years for access to talking treatments, yet for years NICE has recommended them as a frontline treatment for depression. Investing more money in alternative treatments will lead to long-term savings, giving people the best chance of recovery to lead full lives in society. This is a welcome further move, but provision must be stepped up nationwide.”

Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health chief executive Angela Greatley said: “Working people need speedy access to effective therapy when they are off sick with depression or anxiety. Leaving it until they have lost contact with their workplace is leaving it too late and forces too many people out of their jobs. We can prevent thousands of people being excluded from work if we invest in the support they and their employers need.”

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Simon
Viewpoint Webteam

SOURCE: The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health