Re-thinking Psychological Therapy in a new NHS: PsychologyOnline attends New Savoy Partnership Conference

Improving the quality of mental healthcare while navigating a path through the new clinically-led commissioning framework is just one of the themes to be explored at the seventh annual ‘Psychological Therapies in the NHS’ conference, 28 and 29 November at the Mermaid Conference Centre in London.

PsychologyOnline will showcase its unique online therapy at the high-profile event, and in so doing will rub shoulders with leading mental healthcare policy-makers including the Care Minister Norman Lamb and Dr Geraldine Strathdee, NHS England’s head clinical director for mental health.

The two-day conference at the end of November, organised by the New Savoy Partnership, will investigate whether the coalition government’s Mental Health Strategy is working and whether more needs to be done to “join up” the way talking therapies are commissioned and accessed on the NHS.

In 2011, the government issued a “No health without mental health” pledge, and committed to improving access to psychological therapies by broadening the focus of IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) initiative.

As a consequence, PsychologyOnline was commissioned earlier this year by the Surrey Mental Health CCG Collaboration as one of four therapy providers.

Surrey GPs referring patients to the innovative service say the evening appointments have been particularly popular with patients who work during the day or those who find it difficult to travel to meet a therapist face-to face.  It has also allowed more men, who are often embarrassed to seek help in person, to access the therapy they need, without taking time off work.

All that service users need to access online CBT is a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone which is connected to the internet.  Therapy can begin within 24 hours of referral and can be undertaken from the comfort of home or wherever the patient feels most comfortable.

Barnaby Perks, chief executive at PsychologyOnline, is encouraging delegates to come along and meet the team and find out how online CBT could make therapy more accessible.

“At PsychologyOnline, we’re proud of our innovative way of delivering highly-effective therapy.  All our therapists are UK trained and accredited and our service has been proven to be effective in treating moderate to severe depression.

“PsychologyOnline’s therapy can treat a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, stress-related disorders, phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and postnatal depression.”

To find out more about PsychologyOnline, please visit www.psychologyonline.co.uk.