The Reports
We need to talk
We Need To Talk examines the provision of psychological therapies.
The report argues that evidence-based talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy are as important for the nation’s health as any cancer drug or surgical procedure. Evidence shows that they can help millions of people in the UK who experience common and severe mental health problems.
It recommends that:
- The NHS should implement NICE guidance as a matter of urgency.
- The Government's 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review should provide for improved access to talking therapies.
- The NHS should introduce waiting time measures for access to mental health treatments.
- The Department of Health should make a realistic assessment of the workforce and training implications of delivering psychological therapies.
- The Department of Health and regulatory bodies should ensure substantive measures for public protection from malpractice.
- The Department of Health should investigate the current bias in research priorities and address it by supporting more research into psychological therapies.
We Need To Talk was published on 31 October 2006.
Download We Need to Talk PDF (1,070 KB)
While we are waiting
While we are waiting examines the damage that long waiting times can cause.
The report's recommendations include:
- We strongly support the IAPT programme’s aspiration that urgent therapy be available within three to 10 days and we urge PCTs to get as close to this as possible.
- We call on the Government to ensure all PCTs record their waiting times and publish these annually.
- GPs should consider the relationship between physical and mental health and offer psychological therapy to those with chronic and long-term physical health conditions, where appropriate.
- commissioners should be looking at the needs of the local population when commissioning psychological services and ensure that services are tailored to local needs.
While we are waiting was published on 24 July 2008.
Download While we are waiting PDF (1,651 KB)
Useful resources
The Department of Health's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Pilot Programme - http://www.mhchoice.csip.org.uk/psychological-therapies.html.
The Depression Report: A New Deal for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, by the Centre for Economic Perormance (including Lord Layard) - http://cep.lse.ac.uk/research/mentalhealth/default.asp
We Need To Talk is a collaboration between five mental health organisations: Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Rethink, The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, Young Minds and published by the Mental Health Foundation.
The We Need to Talk campaign is kindly supported by the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.