Doncaster Talking Therapies Pilot Sees 1000 In Just Three Months

A Doncaster pilot scheme to improve access to talking therapies for people with mental health problems has seen 1000 clients in just its first three months of operation.



The scheme, one of only two pilots in England set up earlier this year, was established to improve access to treatment for people with common mental health problems, and is now taking on up to 100 new clients a week.



Visiting the scheme to help staff and users celebrate the success, Health Minister Rosie Winterton, who is responsible for mental health services, said:



"By seeing 1000 patients in just three months, this Doncaster pilot site is showing how successful the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies scheme is proving to be. The two pilot sites are a vital part of our strategy to increase access to mental health services.



"I am delighted to be visiting the service again to personally thank staff for their hard work, and to congratulate them on achieving this distinguished milestone."



The scheme, "Improving Access to Psychological Therapies", accepts referrals from local GPs and other access points, and provides a range of psychological treatments including counselling.



Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said:



"The number of people who have benefited from this service already is testament to the dedication of those involved, and shows how strong the demand for talking treatments is. There is no doubt that talking treatments are an essential part of the national healthcare picture, and we hope that services like this can be swiftly rolled out across the country."



Rethink Director of Public Affairs Paul Corry said: "The eyes of the whole mental health world are on Doncaster and its sister site in Newham, East London. All the research evidence shows that talking therapies delivered in the heart of the community can make an enormous difference to people's lives."







"Rosie Winterton celebrates success"



Notes:



1. Improving access to talking therapies has the potential to save the economy millions of pounds by helping people with mild to moderate depression to get back into employment and off incapacity benefit. About one in three of the 1.3 million people claiming long-term incapacity benefit in the UK have a mental health problem, mostly mild to moderate depression.



2. The two pilots, one in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and the other in Newham, east London, were announced in May 2006. The two sites were chosen because they serve very different demographics with different health needs, and they offer different treatment models such as community-based, voluntary sector-led, or employer-led.



For further information please go to:
UK Department of Health