PCTs ‘to lead surge in talking therapies’

The government has announced that 32 primary care trusts (PCTs) will lead the increase in the use of talking therapies nationwide.

Each of the trusts will receive a share of 33 million pounds recently promised by the Department of Health as the first instalment of new money for this purpose.

This money will be used to create a new workforce in the NHS to offer properly-supervised therapy of both low and high intensity, with 3,600 extra therapists to be trained over the next three years.

It is hoped this investment will result in a reduction of waiting times for talking therapies and help patients achieve a visible level of recovery in line with clinical trials independently reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Ivan Lewis, care services minister, said: “This initiative will transform the way the NHS helps people with depression and anxiety disorders.

“It will help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems”

He added that this investment marks one of the most significant advances in NHS services seen in a generation.

When the government first announced this funding in February 2008, it said that evidence exists to show that talking therapies can be as effective as drugs in the short term and potentially longer lasting.