Care services 'can be delivered more effectively for less money'
10/11
DAVID Gardner is head of mental health for NHS Derbyshire, which pays for local health services and is the organisation behind the proposals.
Mr Gardner is one of the key decision-makers when it comes to choosing which mental health services the NHS should pay for in Derbyshire.
He said around 160,000 people in the county had the most common types of mental health problems, which would be treated under the new proposals. These include anxiety, depression, personality disorders and post-traumatic stress.
Of these, about 10,000 with the most severe symptoms were last year given specialist therapy. This included 250 who were given psychodynamic psychotherapy and others who had counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy. Mr Gardner said the aim of the current proposals was to create equal access to specialist therapies across the county.
People living in the north have access to some forms of therapy but this is limited.
Typically, patients in the north are supported by psychologists attached to Community Mental Health Teams, which provide a wide range of support to a large number of patients with a whole range of mental health problems. By contrast, in the south there are specialist psychotherapy services.
Mr Gardner said the difference was due to historical reasons, as the county used to be managed by a number of different health authorities which worked independently.
If the proposals go ahead, Mr Gardner said psychodynamic psychotherapy may be provided less frequently. Or, he said, it may be replaced by cognitive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy. He said these two therapies were recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which advises on which treatments should be offered by the NHS.
He said: "Current Government policy is calling on the NHS to invest more in talking therapies and improved access for patients. Patients will continue to be offered one-to-one and group therapy under the different treatments being offered in the review.
"These will be regular and last for at least 20 sessions or possibly longer, depending on the needs of the patient."
Mr Gardner could not confirm the exact amount of money which would be saved each year, saying this would not be known until the plans were finalised.
He added: "We believe more effective, evidence-based psychological therapies can be delivered more effectively for less money."
And he hoped that, following the changes, more people would get help more quickly.
He also gave a guarantee that patients currently receiving long-term psychodynamic therapy would continue to be able to access this form of therapy if they still needed it.
He said: "Each case will be individually reviewed by an expert clinical panel which will include the patient's individual therapist."
And he said the NHS was considering all views before making a decision.
After the consultation, different options will be discussed with Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which is paid by NHS Derbyshire to provide mental health services.
A spokeswoman for NHS Derbyshire said it was not known when the changes, if they were given the go-ahead, would be introduced.
Source: Derbyshire Evening Telegraph, Thursday, October 20, 2011