We've submitted a joint response with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy to the policy programme recommended by the Labour Party's Policy Commission on Health and Care.

We welcome the policy programme in the Commission's report as a positive step forward for a 21st Century NHS and think the mental health section makes some very good recommendations.

We do, however, think the mental health section could go further and be more ambitious.

The UK can be a world leader in understanding mental health and in the provision of services and we think our recommendations will help further develop the party’s thinking.

Our recommendations:

1. That the proposed right to psychological therapies in the NHS Constitution applies to people with complex mental health conditions as much as to people with conditions like anxiety and depression

2. Commitment from Labour to work with NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups to ensure that people accessing psychological therapies on the NHS are able to have an informed choice about their treatment type, therapist and where and when they access their appointment

3. Commitment from Labour to lead a review into what psychological therapies work for whom, to lead to provision of psychological therapy appropriate for all people with mental health problems on the NHS

4. Commitment from Labour to integrate psychological therapies provision across primary care

5. Ensure NICE takes forward the review of its approach to guideline development in mental health and considers a more flexible approach, valuing a wider range of evidence types alongside RCTs, in developing future clinical guidelines

6. That mental health research funding is trebled

7. Commitment to prioritise the health and wellbeing of health and care staff