Access to talking therapies: We need to talk
The assessment was incredible... I felt that someone finally understood. When I was told that the wait after assessment was two years it felt like a real let down, offering a lifeline and [then] snatching it away.
Campaign for psychological therapies
Psychological therapies such as counselling and psychotherapy can be very effective for treating mental health conditions. However, they are not always easily available on the NHS and some people can wait years for treatment.
Although the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has improved the situation, far too many people are still not getting the treatment that they need, when they need it. Mind's new report, We need to talk: Getting the right therapy at the right time, backs up this claim with new evidence from over 500 service users who shared their experiences with us.
The Government has said it will increase access to talking therapies. We must make sure they keep that promise. Mind has led the work of the We Need to Talk coalition to produce this report, which makes an unanswerable case for the Government to do more to ensure that a wide range of evidence-based therapies are available to all that need them within 28 days of referral.
What we are fighting for
- A wide range of evidence-based psychological therapies should be made available to all.
- Therapy should be available within 28 days of requesting referral.
- The IAPT programme should be completed as planned.
Take action
Find out more
- Read We need to talk: Getting the right therapy at the right time
- Read our latest campaign briefing (April 2010).
- The New Savoy Declaration (PDF) on access to psychological therapies.
- The case for psychological therapies - Professor Lord Richard Layard.
- Read the We Need to Talk report on why the Government should improve access to psychological therapies.
- Read the While We are Waiting report on people's experiences of waiting for psychological therapies on the NHS.
The following organisations support We need to talk:
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