Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to cognitive behavioural therapy for people experiencing insomnia.

It is for local integrated care boards to decide whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) should be offered to their populations as a treatment for insomnia.

NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offers low-intensity therapy which may include interventions around sleep hygiene. Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression can be referred by their general practitioner, or can self-refer, to NHS Talking Therapies. This is available via the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Individuals can also access helpful resources on sleep problems on the Every Mind Matters website. This is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Prioritisation Board has recently agreed to prioritise digital technologies that deliver CBT interventions for insomnia and insomnia symptoms as a topic for the development of HealthTech guidance.