Asked by: Lord Nagaraju (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy through NHS services in England, in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on treating depression and preventing relapse; and whether they intend to publish information on its availability and waiting times.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
People can access the NHS Talking Therapies service through general practice referral or self‑referral, and support is tailored to individual need, recognising the variation in severity and the complexity of common mental health conditions.
NHS Talking Therapies provide National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended, evidence‑based psychological therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for adults with common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Treatment decisions, including the appropriateness of CBT, are assessed by trained and accredited National Health Service practitioners, using clinical judgement in line with national guidance.
The Department and NHS England keep the performance of NHS Talking Therapies under continual review, including access, waiting times, and treatment outcomes. Talking Therapy waiting times are already routinely published on the NHS England website.
We also continue to strengthen the evidence base for NHS Talking Therapies through ongoing evaluation activity, including independent analysis of specific service components, and will consider these findings as part of further work to improve effectiveness and patient outcomes.