Trust is accused of jumping gun on move to axe therapy service
11/11
NHS chiefs have been accused of attempting to plough ahead with controversial plans to scrap a mental-health service without properly consulting the public.
Councillors have slammed the NHS Derbyshire trust for causing "anxiety and stress" to both patients and staff over its handling of proposals to get rid of a specialist form of therapy.
They say health chiefs made up their minds to stop providing psychodynamic psychotherapy before consulting the public.
According to Derby City Council's Adults Health and Housing Commission, NHS Derbyshire's intentions were so far advanced that mental-health staff were given official warnings that they were at risk of redundancy.
The NHS did plan to hold a public consultation but it was only when the commission stepped in that health chiefs agreed to halt moves to scrap the service while it took place.
A report by the commission stated: "The commission was very concerned that service changes had already begun to be implemented before proper consultation had been started, let alone completed.
"This approach has caused anxiety and stress for service users as well as staff and could have been avoided."
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is offered to 250 people in the county and involves them talking to a therapist long term about their mental-health problems.
As reported in the Derby Telegraph last month, some patients, doctors, union officials and mental-health charities have called on the NHS to continue offering the service.
They have argued that it is the most effective way of helping people with deep-seated mental health problems.
But the NHS says that other forms of therapy are more proven to work.
The issue is now being discussed by NHS Derbyshire officials after the end of a three-month public consultation.
A report from the commission said it had documents from the NHS which made it clear a decision to get rid of the service was made prior to the consultation.
NHS Derbyshire controls the local healthcare budget and pays Derbyshire Healthcare to provide mental-health services.
Derbyshire Healthcare issued staff with official warnings that they were at risk of redundancy, which still remain in force.
the chairman of the commission, Councillor Fareed Hussain, said "mistakes" had been made.
Martin Whittle, deputy chief executive of NHS Derbyshire, said: "We do acknowledge that there was initially some confusion about our intentions."
He said a report would be drawn up from all of the feedback received during the consultation and published on the organisation's website.
He added: "We would like to assure everyone that no decision has been made."
The commission has formally recommended that the NHS continues to offer psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Source: Derby Telegraph
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Trust-accused-jumping-gun-axe-therapy-service/story-13962129-detail/story.html