HUNDREDS of people in York are currently on lengthy waiting lists for psychological help.

About 600 people are on waiting lists in the York area to receive NHS talking therapies - psychological treatments for conditions including depression, anxiety or emotional distress.

Some are waiting over five months to be seen by the NHS, a delay Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) said it is working to address.

Alyson Scott, chief executive of York Mind, said the delays will come at a time when people are asking for help.

She said: “It’s hugely concerning and particularly concerning as when people can acknowledge they need help they might have waited a long time. Often you are adding extra months when they are ready to speak.”

She said it goes against the idea of a parity of ill health, in which mental ill health should be treated with the same urgency as physical ill health.

There are currently 161 people waiting an average of 161 days for cognitive behavioural therapy, a treatment to change the way people think and behave, there are 200 people waiting an average of 97 days for counselling, and 253 people waiting an average of 89 days for guided self help.

Meanwhile, about 160 people are on a 23-day long waiting list for their initial assessment to determine the kind of talking therapy they need.

Chris Brace, a member of Mental Health Action York, said the waiting lists reflected a national lack of priority given to mental health services.

He said: “It’s outrageous.

“When you look at it in terms of how it relates to human lives it’s tragic. It’s not like the Post Office failing to deliver first class letters in time - that’s an inconvenience. When we have failures in delivering mental health services you are talking about tragedies.”

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust said it has had a number of issues with talking therapies and is reviewing the service and how it works.

A spokesperson for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Although waiting times for talking therapies have improved over the last six months we know there is still work to do.

“We have introduced telephone assessment and expanded the range of groups we offer. People are also offered self-help material as part of their initial assessment.

“This is an important service and we will continue to do all we can to improve access to the service.”

Waiting times for talking therapies have improved since April 2016, TEWV said. At that time 66 per cent of people were seen within six weeks and now that figure is 95 per cent.

A spokesperson said that as part of the initial assessment people are offered self-help material while they wait for their next appointment. There are also other options available such as groups and computerised cognitive behaviour therapy which have shorter waiting times.

- People who are in mental health crisis and experiencing conditions including psychotic episodes, suicidal intentions or behaviour, extreme anxiety, or any other behaviour that seems out of control or irrational and that is likely to endanger the self or others should call the crisis team on 01904 610700.