GPs relying more on unregulated charities to provide mental health care

Mental health charities are struggling to cope with the number of sick patients referred to them by GPs, with under-qualified professionals increasingly given the job of treating the seriously ill.

- Rachel Hall

Experts told the Guardian that some desperate GPs were "signposting" patients to services not always equipped to deal with them.

These are provided by unregulated charities that employ practitioners who are not always transparent about their qualifications or level of competence. Some charities reported struggling to cope with demand, with their staff, who do not need the specific qualifications required by the NHS, made responsible for helping the sickest patients.

"The issue is that people are desperate," said Jaime Craig, who will be appointed chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists in May. "There's very limited access to services, and so people go to the GP and they say: 'Well, I've had a flyer from this person who's offering counselling, why don't you try them?'

"To be fair to GPs, sometimes their local areas don't have an awful lot to offer in terms of mental health support and they are struggling with the amount of people coming in for psychological or counselling support. But the patient can't know whether what is being suggested on a leaflet or a website is OK unless someone does some vetting."

The Guardian has previously revealed the lack of regulation means anyone can set up as a psychotherapist or counsellor with limited or no qualifications, and continue to work after misconduct cases, apart from a handful of professional titles.