Sheffield people will soon benefit from improved mental health services after a local mental health service providing free psychological talking therapies was awarded national funding.

Sheffield’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Service, which helps people overcome common mental health issues was awarded £1.8million to significantly expand the services offered. This will improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Sheffield.

Among its other services, the IAPT Service, in partnership with Primary Care Clinical Health Psychologists, currently offers specific support and interventions for people with long term health conditions and persistent physical symptoms. 

1 in 4 people each year will experience a mental health problem and in the last year IAPT Service has helped over 12,000 people develop new skills to manage and overcome stress, anxiety and depression.  The additional funding will enable the support given to be expanded even further.

The new funding also means the service will soon be offering specific support and treatment to people experiencing health conditions such as cardiac and non-cardiac chest pain; musculoskeletal conditions; chronic persistent pain; the psychological consequences of cancer survivorship; diabetes; chronic fatigue syndrome/ME; irritable bowel syndrome; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and health related anxiety. The service will be working in partnership with colleagues across primary and secondary care to take these exciting developments forward.

Toni Mank, Head of the IAPT Service, said: “We are excited to be able to expand the services we offer and to develop new services.  We firmly believe that neither physical health nor mental wellbeing should be treated in isolation and these new services will help us to offer greater support to people experiencing physical health issues.”

Dr Steve Thomas, GP and Clinical Director for Mental Health at NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We have been working hard in Sheffield to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental ill health and the work that the IAPT team do is of fundamental importance to this. Over the past year IAPT service had made a number of changes to improve the service, focusing on offering quicker access and even more choice. People can now access help online, have talking therapy sessions using Skype and even attend group sessions online. This new funding investment will allow the service to be expanded and improved even further, particularly with helping to address and abolish what is often a very artificial divide between our ‘physical’ and ‘mental’ health needs.”

Deborah Gamsu, Joint Head of Health and Medical Psychology, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust said:  “This new funding provides a significant opportunity for health, social care and third sector partners and people living with long term physical health conditions and symptoms to work together to ensure that the people of Sheffield can access a full range of psychological support and interventions when and where they need them.”

Kevan Taylor, Chief Executive, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted that our IAPT Service has been successful in their funding bid.  This achievement is a true testament to the commitment of the whole team to providing high quality, accessible and responsive mental health support to the people of Sheffield.”

For more information about IAPT Service visit http://iaptsheffield.shsc.nhs.uk.