Patient Experience of Accessing Community Mental Health Services in Worcestershire : Published October 2025

Participants included those referred by their GP to services delivered by Voluntary Community Sector organisations, those referred to the NHS ‘Talking Therapies’ service, and those who self-referred to that service. The survey explored key aspects of the patient journey, including the referral process, involvement in care planning, communication, and the provision of information.

The insights gathered have been compiled into this report, Patient Experience of Accessing Community Mental Health Services for Support with ‘Low-Level’ Mental Health Issues, which includes 21 recommendations aimed at improving service delivery and patient outcomes.

As a next step, we have shared the report with NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire and formally requested a health system response to our recommendations within 20 working days. Once received, this response will be published alongside the report.