A health leader in Nottinghamshire says the number of people seeking mental health services is rising at a rapid rate. Ifti Majid, chief executive at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, said the demand had become a major issue for the NHS organisation.
As of December 22, there were 1,606 patients on the waiting list for talking therapies across the city and county. At Nottinghamshire Healthcare, 206 people were waiting for IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) services, with an average wait of 18 weeks for a second treatment appointment.
IAPT are services designed to offer short-term therapy to people suffering from anxiety, depression and stress. Between January 2021 and September this year, 15,689 patients were referred to the trust.
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"The people who are now seeking mental health care and treatment is rising at such a rapid rate is now a major issue for us in Nottinghamshire," Mr Majid told Nottinghamshire Live. "We're seeing an increase in demand from people, either linked to Covid and that difficult period or the fact people didn't seek treatment early enough.
"Demand has definitely risen over the last 12 to 18 months. Not only has the demand risen but the complexity of people having multiple components to their mental health difficulties. The severity of the illness for example on our inpatient ward is higher than it's ever been."
Mr Majid, a trained mental health nurse, said the problem was "more acute than certainly I've seen before". He said there is 'absolutely no doubt' that cost of living will be a driving factor in many people experiencing mental health difficulties.
"If you have people who can't pay the bills, if you have people that because of the really stressful economic environment find that their relationships break down, that can drive an increase," he said. "It's about how we organise our services and we are reviewing that. It's also about intervening early, we know the longer we wait, the more intense the treatment would need to be.
"Early indicators of people having mental health difficulties are having insecure accommodation. Secure accommodation, having a job and meaningful activity, being able to get support - these are the sort of things that have a great preventative impact and there's work we need to do around that."
Maxine Bunn, system delivery director for mental health and children at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, added: "Talking therapies are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully-trained and accredited practitioners. They can help with mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression. Anyone can access talking therapies for free on the NHS.
"Waiting times can vary month to month depending on the number of referrals received and what type of therapy is required. The wait for an assessment appointment is generally between three to five weeks. We are working with our local talking therapies providers to ensure people can access these services as quickly as possible."
Nationally, the NHS Confederation warned the Government to address 'unsustainable' pressures on mental health provision or risk reaching breaking point. Chief executive Matthew Taylor said: “The pressure on mental health provision is also creating a domino effect on the wider NHS and, coupled with the impact the rising cost of living is likely to have on people’s mental health, services are getting closer than ever to breaking point."
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