Overview

The Access to Mental Health Services Bill aims to improve access to mental health services in England and Wales by setting maximum waiting times for treatment and establishing standards for evidence-based psychological therapies.

Description

This bill mandates the Secretary of State to introduce regulations to:

• Amend the definition of "treatment" in relevant NHS regulations to include psychological therapies.
• Establish a duty to arrange appointments with specialists within 28 days for those urgently referred for mental health treatment, aiming for a 93% success rate. The bill allows the Secretary of State to specify which conditions this applies to and to mandate alternative providers if the 28-day target isn't met.
• Expand the definition of "eligible referrer" to include psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, and social workers.
• Include psychological therapies in the definition of "health technology" under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, impacting access to NICE guidelines and funding.

The bill also requires parliamentary approval for any regulations created under its provisions and empowers the Secretary of State to define "evidence-based psychological therapies" and maintain a list of approved providers in consultation with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Government Spending

The bill requires funding from Parliament to cover all expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State in implementing its provisions, as well as any increases in sums payable under other Acts due to this bill.

Groups Affected

This bill will primarily affect:

• Individuals with mental health conditions: Potentially improved access to timely treatment and a wider range of therapists.
• NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups: Increased responsibilities to meet the new standards and targets for providing mental health services.
• Mental health professionals: Expanded roles for psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, and social workers in referring patients.
• Providers of psychological therapies: Potential increase in demand for their services, requiring increased capacity.

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