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 help ensure that people with (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) other long-term lung conditions have access to integrated (i) psychological and (ii) mental health support as part of their care pathway.

People with long-term physical health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders can refer into NHS Talking Therapies for treatment if they have a common mental health disorder, for instance anxiety and/or depression. NHS Talking Therapies also offers integrated pathways of care for people with long-term conditions which are integrated with physical care services, usually through co-location. The NHS Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTC) service does not treat the underlying physical health condition but treats the anxiety and/or depression that is either caused or exacerbated by having the LTC.

NHS England has put together a best practice directory for LTC pathways across NHS Talking Therapies services to provide a national picture of what pathways are in place and how they work. Information collected as part of the work to develop the national LTC directory will help to frame a review of the NHS Talking Therapies LTC Implementation Guidance.