Scottish government publishes psychological therapies specification and core mental health standards
The BPS has welcomed publication by the Scottish government of service standards and specifications which aim to set out what patients can expect when accessing mental health and wellbeing services.
29 September 2023
The society believes these will bring 'clarity and consistency' in the planning and delivery of services.
However, the BPS said success will depend on staff being given sufficient support to meet the new requirements, as well as robust IT systems that are fit for purpose and allow for sufficient data collection, monitoring and analysis.
The recent Audit Scotland report into accessing adult mental health services in Scotland has flagged current data challenges.
The Scottish government earlier today published a number of documents, detailed below. They follow publication earlier in the year of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, outlining the government's vision for 'a Scotland free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible'.
In the strategy the Scottish government committed to working with partners to develop quality standards and specifications for mental health services, setting out clear expectations and frameworks for what services will look like as they 'provide high-quality and equitable care, driving improvement across Scotland'.
The Psychological therapies and interventions specification sets out what people should expect if they need a psychological therapy or intervention, and what services and teams should do to improve the delivery of psychological therapies and interventions.
The range of psychological care and practice delivered by the workforce in Scotland is described in detail in the updated Scottish Psychological Therapies Matrix – more interactive than its predecessor and allowing clinicians to draw on the most up-to-date evidence for psychological therapies.
Public Health Scotland has also published updated guidance on Psychological Therapies and Interventions Waiting Times Standard Definitions, to reflect the new specification.
Ninety per cent of people should start psychological treatment or intervention within 18 weeks of referral, the standard states. This document sets out what constitutes psychological therapies and interventions – by services, teams, individuals or digitally – and specifies how the waiting time from referral to treatment start (RTT) is to be calculated and reported to Public Health Scotland for publication.
Core Mental Health Standards have also been published and are designed to be aspirational about what good mental health services should look like.
The Scottish government said it recognised that some of the standards may take longer for services to fully deliver in the face of ongoing systems pressures, so is taking a phased approach to the measurement and implementation of the standards.
This will include a pilot examining the feasibility of implementing the current set of standards which will inform any future refinements.
Fiona Mackay, chair of BPS Scottish Branch, said:
"We welcome publication of these major pieces of work – all should bring increased clarity and consistency in the planning and delivery of services.
"While we agree that improvements in data collection are urgently needed – because waiting times are only part of the picture and do not tell us about how services are improving patients' lives – a balance must be struck between the needs of the service and those of staff," she added.
"Clinicians already have extensive demands that take them away from working with patients. They must be given the necessary support, so that additional work brought about by the new requirements does not detract further from their core clinical role, or increase their workload overall.
"Also, while timely access to psychological therapies and interventions is crucial, an overemphasis on waiting times can make staff feel undervalued despite their efforts and skills.
"Therefore, it's essential that we focus on staff wellbeing, along with access to supervision, multi-disciplinary team working and joint IT systems. Our members tell us this will have a more positive impact on the patient experience than the length of wait.
"By prioritising these areas, we can create a more supportive and effective system that meets the needs of both patients and staff."
Psychological Therapies and Interventions Waiting Times Standard Definitions