Letter from Professor Andrew Samuels Chair, UKCP. United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.

This is a copy of a letter from Professor Andrew Samuels Chair UKCP, United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.The Letter has been sent to the Commissioners, Derbyshire County PCT and Derby City PCT. The letter has also been sent to the Chief Executive of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust and to the Chair and members of Derby City Council Adult Health Overview and Scrutiny Commission.

Dear  

PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES IN THE DERBYSHIRE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION TRUST (DHFT)

You will, of course, be aware of the concern - one might say consternation - caused by the very damaging and abrupt proposals to decommission the psychodynamic psychotherapy and Group Therapy Programme within the DHFT.  Decommissioning in this manner will lead to a lack of choice for patients, the maintenance of which is a key feature of one of Andrew Lansley's 'four steps' consultation guidance. In terms of psychological services, the provision of a choice of a range of therapies is absolutely essential.

Threat to cut NHS Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Services in Derbyshire

Threat to Front Line NHS Mental Health Services. 

PCT Commissioners for Derbyshire and County Derby City have proposed a service specification for NHS Psychotherapy Services that requires the de-commissioning of psychodynamic psychotherapy services within the Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust. The Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Department and the Group Therapy Programme would be lost. 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has required the PCT to undertake a three month public consultation on the proposal and to halt the decommissioning process. 

A month into this consultation no public meeting has been announced and 13 specialist psychotherapists remain ‘at risk’. 

The Psychotherapists have been informed by Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (in letters received on 2nd September 2011) that their  90 days redundancy notice has been "deferred" pending the outcome of the consultation. 

The Staff, Service Users and other Clinicians relying upon the Psychotherapy Services have once again been left in a position of profound uncertainty.