03.07.17
More than half of CCGs miss target for talking therapy availability
A total of six in 10 CCGs have missed crucial targets to make talking therapy accessible in their area to support people with mental health problems.
Data released by NHS England has shown that the number of CCGs failing to meet the target for the proportion of people in the area that should be accessing talking therapies stands at 57%, meaning that 120 out of 209 CCGs had missed the target for October-December 2016.
The annual target for CCGs is set by the proportion of people in the area that should be accessing talking therapies – which is currently at 15.8%, although this target will rise to 25% by 2021.
The data released focuses on therapies available through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, which is designed to increase the accessibility of essential therapies for mental health sufferers with common issues like anxiety and depression.
“Talking therapies play a vitally important role for many people who have mental health problems, enabling them to get their lives back on track and preventing their problems becoming worse,” said Sophie Corlett, director of external relations at mental health charity Mind.
“We have seen talking therapy services set up across the country in recent years and access to services has improved, but we can’t afford to let up the pace of change as currently only around 15 per cent of people who could benefit get access.”
Corlett added that though the stigma around mental health is decreasing, underfunding in the sector means that services are still struggling to cope with demand.
“There has been recent national investment, which is welcome, but we need to see that investment making a difference locally,” she continued. “No matter where you live in the country, we want to see everyone access the help they need, when they need it.
“For too long, people accessing mental health services have not had the same right to timely treatment that we all expect if we have a physical health problem.”
A spokesperson for NHS England agreed: “The NHS now has the biggest programme for talking therapies in the world – more people are receiving mental health care than ever before, with nearly 80,000 people entering treatment each month.
“Huge strides forward have been made, but there is much more work to do to drive further improvements to ensure the right care is available across the country at the right time.”
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.