Psychological therapy waiting times worsen

There are appro[imately people on the 1+6 )ife psychological therapy Zaiting list accorGing to the latest Gata from )ebruary.

7he Gata has also reYealeG that appro[imately

of psychotherapy patients are Zaiting ZeeNs or more for treatment.

7he target is for of patients to begin therapy Zithin ZeeNs of referral. +oZeYer in )ife the reality is that only . of patients Zere seen Zithin that timeframe as of )ebruary.

7he )ife +ealth anG 6ocial &are 3artnership e[plaineG that psychological therapies are ZiGe in range anG GesigneG to khelp people unGerstanG anG maNe changes to their thinNing behaYiour anG relationships in orGer to relieYe Gistress anG to improYe functioningy.

7hey can incluGe treatments liNe counselling cognitiYe behaYioural therapy &%7 anG more intensiYe therapeutic interYention for comple[ trauma.

k7he numbers treateG in the latest reporting perioG remain high Zith a higher than usual number of patients Zho haG ZaiteG oYer ZeeNs being taNen on for treatment this month y the latest 1+6 )ife performance report stateG.

7he number of patients Zaiting more than ZeeNs has increaseG yet again for the local boarG. /ast 0ay

. of patients Zere seen Zithin ZeeNs of referral q nearly seYen percentage points better than the latest figures.

+oZeYer 1+6 )ife representatiYes say that the Gecrease has been causeG by an increaseG emphasis on getting those Zaiting the longest into treatment.

k:hile positiYe from a serYice perspectiYe starting treatment for a higher percentage of patients Zho haYe ZaiteG oYer ZeeNs negatiYely impacts performance on the target anG this fell beloZ this month y the report stateG.

k7he oYerall Zaiting list has increaseG to but Zith a reGuction in the number Zaiting oYer ZeeNs . compareG to )ebruary . . 7he number of patients oYer ZeeNs has GecreaseG beloZ

from oYer at the enG of )ebruary .y

$ spoNesperson for )ife +ealth anG 6ocial &are 3artnership saiG k3sychological therapies are proYiGeG for a ZiGe section of the population. $s ZoulG be e[pecteG there are continual changes to the numbers of people Zaiting as neZ patients begin therapy anG others concluGe their treatment.

k:e are committeG to ensuring timely access to our psychology serYices Zith increaseG inYestment in our serYices a focus on recruitment of specialist staff anG ZorNing Zith partner organisations to GeliYer supporting serYices for people in )ife.

k:e are GetermineG to minimise the length of time people in )ife Zait for such treatments anG continue to ZorN toZarGs GeliYering the 6cottish *oYernment s ambition that of inGiYiGuals Zill be seen Zithin ZeeNs of referral.y

7he partnership also highlighteG that Gata is only captureG for a person s first appointment.

&linical support is GeliYereG Gaily to inGiYiGuals Zith ongoing treatment programmes Zhich is not reflecteG in Zait time Gata.

Only 70% of patients are seen within 18 weeks