NHS Talking Therapies recovery rate

These charts display the proportion of patients who have accessed NHS Talking Therapies (previously called IAPT  or Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) services in the past month who have been deemed to have moved to recovery at both a whole population level and specifically within Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. The figures can be examined from a national perspective or ICB level. You can also compare data with up to 5 other populations or up to 2 other areas for both the whole population and the BAME population.

Exploring the charts: To explore ICBs, click on the tab then click in the box to compare data sets. Data for Q2 2020/21 was never published by NHS Digital so is missing from the chart.

Policy context

The NHS Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, now renamed NHS Talking Therapies, began in 2008 and aims to implement National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance for people with common mental health problems. 

NICE recommends a range of psychological therapies to treat people with depression and anxiety disorders and bring them to recovery. It also recommends these therapies are used to provide a system of stepped care.

It is important that people have a say in what kind of treatment they receive to ensure the best health outcome for them. Services should aim to offer people choice in appointment time, gender of therapist and type of therapy (within those recommended by NICE for their problem).

The Government has set a target for at least 50% of people who complete NHS Talking Therapies treatment to recover.

Note: Recovery is measured in terms of “caseness” – which means that a referral has severe enough symptoms to be regarded as a clinical case.  A referral has moved to recovery if they were defined as a clinical case at the start of their treatment and not at the end of their treatment.

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