Posted: Monday 1 March 2010
Mind, together with the Royal College of GPs and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, will be holding a reception at 1 Abbey Gardens, Great College Street, Westminster, SW1P 3SE on Monday 1 March at 11am to launch a new campaign to put psychological therapies at the heart of the main parties' manifestos. It will call on all the political parties to guarantee in their election manifestos that within 5 years the NHS will offer evidence-based psychological therapies to all who need them within 28 days of requesting referral.
NICE guidelines recommend several psychological therapies for people who have mental health problems but most of those who need them cannot get access. GPs who should refer people for psychological therapies are routinely unable to do so - or only with very long waiting times. A recent survey found that 75% of GPs have prescribed medication to people with depression even though they felt another treatment would have been preferable (1).
This new campaign builds on the success of the We Need to Talk campaign led by five mental health charities and the Declaration agreed by the New Savoy Partnership.
Mind has heard from people who are waiting months and in some cases years to access appropriate talking treatments on the NHS and about the terrible impact this has on their lives as they cope with the distress and uncertainty of when help will come.
Comments included:
While I was waiting (for about three months), my anxiety increased as I felt I was being ignored and sidelined.
It's very difficult to access services locally unless you are prepared to pay. Mental health services are very reluctant to refer you for counselling or psychotherapy they just give you drugs.
Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:
Talking therapies provide a lifeline during periods of mental distress but for many people they are not available when they need them most. The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme is designed to change all this. But it is currently only one third complete and we need government commitment to complete its coverage of the whole country.
We want to see all the main political parties make a commitment in their manifestos to offer a full range of evidence-based psychological therapies to all that need them within 28 days of requesting referral.
Professor Lord Layard said:
Our politicians must guarantee that children and adults with mental health problems get as good professional care as people who are physically ill.
Mind is keen to ensure that this is a key issue in the upcoming election and that every parliamentary candidate commits to doing their bit to improve mental health in England and Wales. Find out more about Mind's countdown to the general election at: http://www.mind.org.uk/election
To find out about the New Savoy Declaration visit http://www.newsavoypartnership.org/index.htm.
**ENDS**
(1) Be Mindful, Mental Health Foundation, 2010
Notes to editors