The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme began in 2008 and has transformed the treatment of adult anxiety disorders and depression in England. In 2021/22, more than 1.2 million people accessed these services for help to manage their depression and anxiety, and better support their mental health. The programme is continuing to evolve and its services have now been renamed as NHS Talking Therapies: a new and more accessible name with the aim of widening access even further in a context of increased mental health needs across our adult and older adult population.

In this session you will hear from providers who are innovating to improve access to talking therapies for anxiety and depression and the impact it is having on individuals using services. You will learn how providers have reduced access barriers and improved outcomes for ethnic and culturally diverse communities, and provided people with more choices in how they access assessments and treatments.