It’s good to talk! More than 125,000 self-referrals made to NHS mental health team since landmark service change 10 years ago
More than 125,000 self-referrals have been made by people seeking help for mental health conditions after a new system introduced by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust 10 years ago.
On 16 June 2015, people were given the opportunity to begin referring themselves directly for support for conditions such as anxiety, stress and depression without having to go via their GP.
The move was seen as ground-breaking at the time and has since been mirrored by providers across the country.
Now, CPFT’s team – recently renamed NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies - are preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of self-referrals – and are calling on people in the area to continue to reach out for support.
Clinical lead Dr James Clarke, speaking during Mental Health Awareness Week (pictured), said: “When we first opened to self-referrals, via the Trust’s website, we never could have guessed we would have had more than 125,000 ten years later.
“Indeed, if you add in the number of people who have contacted us in other ways – via email or telephone or have been referred to us by GPs or health professionals - the number is over 200,000.
“If people found it difficult to go to their GP and say they were struggling, we wanted to take that barrier away.
“The entire team has always seen those numbers as a huge positive. One in four people will experience a mental health issue during their lives, and we wanted to make it as simple as possible for people to seek and receive help.
“Our Single Point of Access Team – who receive and process all of our referrals – deserve special praise. They continue to work tirelessly to ensure people get the right help and support they need as quickly as possible.”
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies provides help to people aged 17 and over who are experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders.
The service mainly offers Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) but a range of other therapies are also available.
For more information visit the Trust’s website by clicking here.
CPFT employs more than 4,700 staff who provide community physical healthcare for older people and those with long-term conditions, mental healthcare for adults and young people, eating disorder services in Norfolk, health visiting and school nursing in Peterborough, social care services and learning disability support. The Trust is also renowned for its research work.
ENDS
For more information contact: communications@cpft.nhs.uk
