To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued on acceptable waiting times for patients prescribed talking therapies by their GP.
Answered on
7 November 2016
Talking therapy services are provided through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, led by NHS England. There are a number of routes into the programme including general practice referral and self-referral. The programme aims to ensure that services provide treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the programme, and that 95% of people are treated within 18 weeks. These waiting time standards were introduced by the government from 1 April 2015.
Answered by
Department of Health and Social Care