This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Allow the NHS Mental Health services to resume face to face therapies
Face to face mental health therapies were suspended indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.
Some mental health therapies, such as EMDR, can only work effectively if appointments are held face to face. Social distancing measures and COVID-19 guidelines would still apply.
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Specialised therapies, such as EMDR and some forms of Psychotherapy, are much more physically oriented - therapists rely much more on physical clues from a patient, as well as being able to give their own to aid in the treatment.
Such specialised therapies can be crucial in a patients care pathway, and can be carried out whilst adhering to government guidelines regarding social distancing and safety during the pandemic, yet there is no indication on when these therapies can be resumed.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
We can't accept your petition because the UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for the issue you raise. There is no ban on face-to-face sessions, but it's a decision for individual NHS Trusts on whether or not they are offered.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.