‘Concerning’ levels of therapy still carried out by unaccredited staff

Tens of thousands of therapy sessions are still being carried out by unaccredited practitioners in the NHS, data suggests – nearly four years after a deadline to stamp this out.  

The situation has been called “concerning” by a leading psychology body, who warned expansion of mental health care should “not come at the expense” of patient safety. 

The data relates to talking therapies in mental health care, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, typically delivered over a number of sessions.  

More than 40,600 out of 227,800 appointments – nearly a fifth - were carried out by a therapist who was not accredited or in training, according to the latest NHS England data for February this year. This information was unknown for nearly 300,000 more sessions.  

NHSE previously set a deadline for all counsellors delivering NHS-funded care to be accredited or in training by mid-2022. 

But Rebecca Light from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies said: “It is concerning that a substantial number of interventions continue to be delivered by practitioners who are not yet registered or accredited.” 

The chief accreditation officer and registrar said: “As demand for mental health services continues to grow, it is vital that workforce expansion is matched by consistent standards across services. 

“Strengthening the use of accredited registers, alongside supporting practitioners to achieve and maintain accreditation, will help ensure that increased access to care does not come at the expense of quality or patient safety.” 

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Source: HSJ, 7 March 2026