Threat to psychotherapy services run from Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals

Letter to Referrers to the Psychotherapy Units

Psychotherapy Unit
Department of Psychiatry
St Thomas' Hospital
Lambeth Palace Road
London SE1 7EH

Tel: 0171-928-9292 Ext: 2272
Fax: 0171-922-8294

7th November 1996

Dear Colleague

We are writing to you with a mixture of anger and dismay about a proposal to cut all psychotherapy services funded by Lambeth Healthcare Trust. This proposal was produced by Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Health Authority and put before an authority meeting on 5th November this year. The proposal is being considered for implementation at their 10th December meeting.

As you are a regular referrer to our services we would like to ask for your support in opposing this service cut. If it is implemented it will mean the closure of the Psychotherapy Unit at St Thomas' Hospital and Shanti Women's Intercultural Psychotherapy Service in Brixton. These options are unacceptable both in terms of loss of patient services and in the support and training provided for other mental health professionals. It also sets a precedent that may be followed by other Trusts and Health Authorities around the country. What makes this development so galling is that the Department of Health have just completed a review of Psychotherapy Services. This states that psychotherapy is an integral part of comprehensive mental health provision. Also a recent survey of fund-holding GPs outside of London clearly demonstrated their value of psychotherapy generating a demand for it's provision for their patients.

We have outlined below some relevant information for you to consider:

St Thomas' Psychotherapy Unit

Patients seen each week158
Patients seen each year300
No. of face to face contacts4,000
No. of trainees seeing patients each week 37
No. of patients supported by supervision of other mental health professionals 100
Cost of Psychotherapy Unit£130,000

Shanti

Patients seen each week98
No. of face to face contacts3,400
No. of trainees seeing patients15
No. of patients supported by supervision of other professionals 50
Cost£150,000

Shanti operates a self-referral system.

As you can see we are a very cost effective service. Perhaps the most cost effective psychotherapy service in the UK because of the models of our work (time limited Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) and Group Psychotherapy) and the number of trainees placed here. It would be inconceivable that such an efficient and cost effective service is destroyed for short term financial gains and it would take years to re-establish again. We do not need to tell you the effect closure would have on the vulnerable patients we see. At this point we are not telling patients because we feel we need to contain the anxiety and distress of these early stages while we try to save the service.

At the present time we are lobbying Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham Health Authority to reconsider the proposal and we would greatly appreciate your support. Could you write or fax your views to the Chief Executive, ensuring that you also send us a copy so that we can gather further evidence with which to continue lobbying - thank you:-

Martin Roberts
Chief Executive
Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham Heath Authority
1 Lower Marsh
London SE1

Tel: 0171-716-7000
Fax: 0171-716-7039

Yours sincerely

Ian Simpson
Senior Adult Psychotherapist
Head of Psychotherapy Services

Hilary A. Beard
Adult Psychotherapist
Chair - Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapists (A.C.A.T.)