Warning over long waits for mental healthcare

One in 10 patients in England waited more than three months for psychological therapies for problems including depression and anxiety in 2013-14, with only six in 10 of 700,000 people entering treatment getting it within the 28-day target time, said the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

In Yorkshire, just seven per cent of patients in the East Riding received treatment within four weeks, with 59 per cent waiting more than three months.

There were also long waits for treatment in North Yorkshire, with 54 per cent of people in Scarborough and Ryedale waiting in excess of 90 days. In the Vale of York, just 30 out of 1,055 patients received it within 28 days.

In contrast, 85 per cent had treatment within four weeks in Calderdale. Fewer than two per cent of patients in Leeds and Kirklees waited 90 days.

In 2010, coalition Ministers backed a major expansion of the flagship therapies programme which had been initially piloted in Doncaster. Around two third of referrals are women, with adults aged in their late 20s most likely to access care.

Campaigners from the We Need to Talk coalition are warning the NHS is already unable to cope with demand, as services now face cuts.

Its chairman Paul Farmer said therapies could transform lives but “far too many people face unacceptably long waits or are struggling to even get a referral”.

“While waiting, many become more unwell and one in six people attempt to take their own lives,” he said.

NHS chiefs in the East Riding said they recognised concern about waits and were working to improve access, recruiting extra providers of care. “These additional services will have a positive impact on waiting times and we expect to see a significant improvement over the next six months,” said a clinical commissioning group spokesman.