Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to increase the availability of therapy for insomnia patients.

The National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) to support clinicians in the management of both short-term and long-term insomnia. The choice of management strategy will depend upon certain considerations, such as the duration and nature of the presenting symptoms as well the role of any pre-existing medical conditions a patient may have. Advice on appropriate routines and behaviours to encourage good sleep, such as avoiding coffee and other stimulants, should also be a key element to the overall strategy.

Pharmacological interventions should only be prescribed for short durations and usually only when daytime impairment is severe. The guidance makes clear that for patients suffering from insomnia for over four weeks a referral to a cognitive behavioural therapy service should be considered. Where symptoms persist the guidance recommends referral to a sleep clinic or specialist with expertise in sleep medicine. The NICE CKS can be found at:

http://cks.nice.org.uk/insomnia

This information is only available as a web link.