Vita Health Group has been awarded a new contract for NHS Talking Therapies services in Kent and Medway.
From 1 April 2024, Vita Health Group will become Kent and Medway’s lead provider of NHS Talking Therapies, partnering with local third sector providers, including We Are With You.
Talking therapies can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
Nothing will change until next year. People already receiving talking therapy support should continue to attend appointments as they do now.
Patients needing talking therapy support should continue to self-refer, or be referred, to existing talking therapy providers through usual referral routes.
The We Listen website www.we-listen.org continues to be where people need to go for information about talking therapies available in Kent and Medway.
During the next few months, Vita Health will collaborate closely with existing providers, GPs, councils and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to prepare for the service's launch.
The contract award follows a comprehensive procurement process.
Dr Jihad Malasi, Clinical Lead for Mental Health for NHS Kent and Medway, said: “Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments that can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
“We look forward to working with Vita Health Group and continuing to serve the people of Kent and Medway by enabling them to access the service that best meets their needs.”
Chief Commercial Officer of Vita Health Group Emma Weighill-Baskerville emphasised the company's commitment to working closely with local providers, system partners, local VCSEs, healthcare organisations, GPs, and service users to establish the new service promptly and effectively.
She said: “Vita Health Group will introduce an innovative holistic model of care, integrating pathways and partnering with local third sector providers to meet the needs of local populations.”
“The ultimate goal is to improve service user accessibility and outcomes by providing the right mental health care, at the right place and time, with a particular emphasis on reducing health inequalities and meeting the increased demand for such services.
Co-production
Vita Health Group is working with EK360 to engage with local people.
Emma Weighill-Baskerville continued: “Vita Health Group has a commitment to meaningful service quality improvement that involves engagement with local communities, carers and people with lived experience in equal partnership, to ensure we continue to design, develop, improve and evaluate the services we provide.
“We are delighted to be working alongside EK360, as our independent advisor, to co-design and consult on our co-production, community and stakeholder engagement events, so we continuously improve our service delivery and enhance our accessibility for the local population.”