IAPT Pathfinder Programme

The Department of Health extended the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in 2007/08, supplementing the early successes of the two IAPT Demonstration Sites Doncaster and Newham.

Three-quarters of the country’s primary care trusts wanted to join and half sent in a fully-worked up bid. Funding was limited and 11 were chosen to take part. They used service redesign techniques to develop

  • a defined care pathway
  • service specification
  • service framework and
  • routine outcome monitoring .

Each Pathfinder site also identified an interest in addressing the specific barriers and positive benefits for improving access to psychological therapies for particular sections of their local population. Experts were invited to support these PCTs through special interest groups offering advice and support focussed on the needs of the specific sections of local communities.

The PCTs and the special interests are:

  • Derby PCT: Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
  • Ealing PCT: Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
  • East Riding of Yorkshire PCT: Older People , Long Term Conditions
  • Hertfordshire PCT: Older People; Perinatal – New Mothers and Fathers; Long Term Conditions
  • Buckinghamshire PCT: Older People
  • Stoke PCT: Older People, Medically Unexplained Symptoms
  • Salford PCT: Perinatal – New Mothers and Fathers; Medically Unexplained Symptoms
  • Dorset PCT: Offenders; Long Term Conditions
  • Brighton PCT : Young People LGBT
  • Bury PCT: Children and Young People
  • North Tees PCT: Long Term Conditions

Evaluation of the Pathfinder sites will be published in October 2008