Fears over Leeds's health services

Members of Leeds City Council’s health scrutiny committee issued the warning after a senior local doctor told them he was “deeply concerned” about the state of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) provision in the city.

A report which went before the committee included details of how a service user was helped by the service to overcome a crippling phobia of dogs.

Councillors said more resources need to be spent on sufferers of acute anxiety and depression.

Coun Caroline Anderson (Con) said she believed there were more serious psychological problems needing to be addressed by the service, adding: “I am concerned at the choice of case study.

“On the way here today I was verbally abused by someone on the Headrow, he would have benefited from anger management treatment.”

Speaking on behalf of the Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Kashif Ahmed said: “Psychological services are commissioned in a way that has been nationally prescribed – this is where people fall through the gaps.

“In terms of the case study, the service goes through 17,000 referrals, there are a diverse range of people with varying degrees of anxiety and depression.”

Coun Helen Hayden (Lab) added: “I was also surprised at the choice of case study. In future we could do with a range of case studies that are more serious.”

Susan Robins, director of operational delivery at the CCG said the case study came from the children and young person’s provision.