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:
Patients seen each week | 158 |
Patients seen each year | 300 |
No. of face to face contacts | 4,000 |
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 |
Patients seen each week | 98 |
No. of face to face contacts | 3,400 |
No. of trainees seeing patients | 15 |
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
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.)