Unqualified therapist treated patients for 10 months

An individual worked as a cognitive behavioural therapist at a trust for 10 months without having the qualifications to do so, HSJ can reveal.

The “patient safety event” at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust was attributed to a “lack of scrutiny” during the recruitment process.

Patients who had CBT sessions - a type of talking therapy for people with mental health conditions - with this individual were informed earlier this year, according to local media. 

HSJ has now obtained an integrated care board committee document which discussed the incident via a Freedom of Information request.

The document said the trust realised in August 2025 that a substantive member of staff had been “delivering care as a cognitive behavioural therapist to Lancashire and South Cumbria residents”, despite not having the required qualifications or accreditations.

The individual had been working in this role since November 2024, according to the quality and outcomes committee risk and escalation report.

It said: “A lack of scrutiny of this individual’s qualifications/accreditation during the recruitment process has been attributed to this patient safety event.”

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Source: HSJ, 20 April 2026