Draft NHS OCD Guidelines May Limit Access to Specialist Treatment
Psychiatrists warn that the new draft NHS guidance on obsessive-compulsive disorder could make it harder for patients to receive specialist care if first-line treatments fail.
The NHS in England is set to update its guidance on treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition affecting about 700,000 people nationwide. The previous guidance has not been revised in over two decades. Experts say the proposed changes risk restricting specialist referrals for patients whose initial therapies are ineffective. Clinicians fear this could delay or deny needed advanced treatment. The draft is currently under review.
Why it matters
Potentially tighter NHS rules could reduce specialist help for thousands of OCD sufferers in England.
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OCDNHS guidelinesspecialist caremental healthtreatment pathwayEnglandpsychiatristsdraft policy
