Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (NHS AGEM CSU) on behalf of NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (formally known as NHS Erewash, NHS Hardwick, NHS Southern Derbyshire and NHS North Derbyshire CCG) invited Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified providers capable of delivering Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services to the patients registered with member GP Practices of NHS Derby & Derbyshire CCG's for which they are the responsible commissioner.

The IAPT programme remains high on the political agenda with CCGs being performance managed on access and recovery targets at regional and national level.

Current services were due to expire on 31.3.2020, which are Commissioned via an Any Qualified Provider (AQP) process, meaning that patients can choose the provider and location of their service. Services are paid on a fixed tariff.

Key aims of the service were:

• People receive a prompt initial assessment following referral, i.e. no longer than 6 weeks.
• The treatment people received commenced promptly after their initial assessment, as per IAPT manual
• People feel better as a result of the treatment they received.
• People over 65 years are able to access a service when they need it.
• People from black and minority ethnic groups are able to access IAPT services and have the same recovery rates when compared to the rest of the population.
• People who reside in the 100 most deprived LSOAs (local super output areas) have the same recovery rates when compared to the rest of the population accessing Derbyshire IAPT services.