UKCP responds to NHS long-term plan announcement

By: Jenna Rachid

Responding to the announcement of the NHS’s ten year long-term plan, UKCP Chief Executive Prof Sarah Niblock said:

‘We welcome both the renewed commitment to mental health and the specific additional funding announced this week as part of the NHS long-term plan.

‘We know how critical mental health during the perinatal period is for both parent and baby, and proposed expansion of these services is much welcome. A local investment fund for community services – ring-fenced – is another welcome forward step.

‘And it is good to see the chronic underinvestment in children’s mental health services is finally being explicitly recognised by the government and NHS leaders.

‘However, despite these positive steps, there are still glaring holes in the ambition for mental health provision. For example, therapeutic provision for those for whom IAPT services are not appropriate is incredibly thinly spread, and it is not clear how this is accounted for in the long-term plan.

‘Moreover, it remains unclear how many of the promised service improvements will be delivered, and who by.

‘What is clear is that the highly trained psychotherapy workforce is still significantly under-utilised by the NHS. If the Government is serious about improving mental health across the board, it must wake up to this.

‘We therefore await with anticipation the government’s NHS workforce plan due later this year.

‘In the meantime, we will continue highlight the unique talents of the more than 8,500 psychotherapists we represent; and to press for a greater choice of psychotherapies for a greater number of NHS service users.’