Health Secretary Andrew Lansley today outlined plans to continue to roll out psychological therapies across the NHS by pledging GBP70 million over the next year.

He said the cash would ensure services could continue to run this year and that new services could be established.

Psychological therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), are recognised as an effective treatment for common mental health conditions and can be used as an alternative or alongside medication.

The announcement was welcomed by the We Need to Talk Coalition, a group of mental health charities that campaign on talking therapies provision.

Speaking on the coalition's behalf, Mind chief executive Paul Farmer

said: "Mental health services have long been an easy target when budgets are slashed, and we are delighted that the new Government will continue plans to invest in crucial talking treatments.

"However, CBT is just one of a host of therapies that can be prescribed for mental health problems, and many people are still stuck on waiting lists struggling to access other therapies that are absolutely fundamental to mental health care, such as counselling.

"Basic mental health treatments are still suffering the knock-on effects of a long legacy of neglect, and funding for talking treatments need to embrace the full range of therapies that can treat all kinds of mental health problems."

Mr Lansley said: "Our coalition programme set out our intention to ensure greater access to talking therapies.

"We want to offer long-term solutions to people with mental health problems and psychological therapies do that.

"Working through issues gives people the skills to manage them and deal with them more effectively if they recur.

"Depression affects up to one in six people at some point in their life and good mental health services are a key part of a preventative and patient-centred NHS.

"We will broaden the geographical coverage of services and also the range of therapies available.

"This will help us to deliver more choice and give people better access to the right psychological support."

The We Need To Talk campaign is supported by The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The British Psychoanalytic Council, The British Psychological Society, The Mental Health Foundation, Mind, The New Savoy Partnership, Rethink, The Royal College of General Practitioners, The Royal College of Psychiatrists and Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and Young Minds.

For more information visit http://www.weneedtotalk.org.uk/.

Press Association Newswires - Wednesday 23 June 2010