FOI 2026/1743

I acknowledge your response about talking therapies not being commissioned for currently serving military regular personnel and reservists.

Could I please have responses to the other questions posed in red below relating to the Greater Manchester ICB’s provision and population in general?

NHS Talking Therapies provision

Please provide:

1. The name of the NHS Talking Therapies service or services commissioned for your ICB population
2. The provider organisation or organisations delivering these services.
3. What services are delivered
4. Whether the service(s) accepts self-referrals.

Activity data

For each requested year, please provide the following information where held:

5. Total number of referrals to NHS Talking Therapies by service(s) offered if multiple are offered.
6. Average or median wait from referral to assessment.
7. Average or median wait from referral to first treatment appointment.

Recording of Armed Forces status

Please confirm:

8. Whether the categories distinguish veterans and family members.

Online, digital and third sector psychological support

9. Please provide details of any online, digital or third sector psychological support commissioned, funded or formally promoted by the ICB for people with mild to moderate anxiety, depression, stress, adjustment difficulties or related presentations.

For each service, please provide where held:

a. Name of service.
b. Provider.
c. Annual cost to the ICB, where held.
d. Annual uptake or usage data, where held.

Strategy, needs assessment and equality considerations

Please provide copies of, or links to, any current:

10. Health inequalities assessments or equality impact assessments relating to NHS Talking Therapies access.

Commissioning and contract information

Please provide:

11. The current contract period for NHS Talking Therapies provision.
12. The annual contract value for NHS Talking Therapies provision, where not commercially exempt.
13. The ICB role responsible for commissioning NHS Talking Therapies. A generic team name or generic mailbox is sufficient. I am not requesting personal staff details.

1.The NHS Talking Therapies service or services commissioned by NHS Greater Manchester.

NHS Talking Therapies (Wigan)

NHS Talking Therapies (Salford)

NHS Talking Therapies (Manchester)

NHS Talking Therapies (Bolton)

NHS Talking Therapies (Trafford)

NHS Talking Therapies (Bury)

NHS Talking Therapies (Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale)

NHS Talking Therapies (Oldham)

NHS Talking Therapies (Tameside)

NHS Talking Therapies (Stockport)

2. NHS Talking Therapies Servies are delivered by Greater Manchester Mental Health Services in the following areas:

Wigan (Step 2 and step 3)

Salford (Step 3)

Bolton (Step 2 and Step 3)

Manchester (Step 3)

Trafford (Step 2 and Step 3)

Pennine Care NHSFT deliver NHS Talking Therapies Services in the following areas

Bury (Step 2 and Step 3)

Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale (Step3)

Oldham (Step 2 and Step 3

Tameside (Step 2 and Step 3)

Stockport (Step 2 and Step 3)

Big Life Group deliver in the following areas (all at step 2)

Manchester

Stockport

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale

TOG Mind (Step 3

Gaddum (Step 2 and Sep 3)

Stockport Women’s Centre (Step 3)

LGBT+ Foundation (Step 2)

We are Survivors (Step 3)

1Point (Step 3)

Making Space (Step 2)

42^nd Street (Step 3)

Pure Innovations (Step 2)

3. Please refer to the response to question 2.
4. All services accept self-referrals
5. This information is publicly available and can be found by visiting NHS Talking Therapies data set reports – NHS England Digital.
6. Please refer to the response to question 5.
7. Please refer to the response to question 5.
8. Recording of armed forces status is a mandatory reporting field on all NHS Talking Therapies datasets

9a. SilverCloud Talking Therapies digital program
9b. Amwell
9c. £590,356.77
9d. NHS GM does not hold this data. This can be accessed by contacting providers listed in the response to question 2.

10. NHS GM has not undertaken a standalone Health Inequalities Assessment or Equality Impact Assessment specifically relating to access to NHS Talking Therapies services.

This is because no service change, redesign or commissioning decision has been implemented that required a separate formal assessment of this nature.

However, equality and health inequalities considerations are routinely incorporated into service planning and commissioning processes in line with NHS England guidance and the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. NHS England’s guidance on advancing mental health equalities within NHS Talking Therapies sets out expectations for reducing inequalities in access, experience and outcomes for underserved groups. There are no documented stand-alone documents to share where this has been considered.

11. All NHS Talking Therapies providers currently hold a 12-month contract up to 31 March 2027
12. NHS GM does not hold a discrete annual contract value for NHS Talking Therapies services delivered by core provider trusts, as these services are commissioned within wider block contract arrangements and are not separately identifiable.

To the extent that any contract and procurement information is publicly available, this can be accessed via NHS GM / Greater Manchester transparency and procurement publications: GMCA Procurement and Transparency Reports

Any further detailed provider-specific financial information is considered exempt from disclosure under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of NHS GM and the relevant providers.

The requested information is withheld under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of the organisations involved.

Section 43(2) – Prejudice to Commercial Interests

Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it)”.

Public interest test

Factors favouring disclosure.

There is an inherent public interest in ensuring that there is openness and transparency in the spending of public money. Transparency is likely to increase confidence in procurement processes and the purchasing decisions made by NHS GM. It also enables the public to understand whether NHS GM was getting value for money from its purchasing decisions.

Factors favouring non-disclosure.

Disclosure of contract value would likely disadvantage providers in a competitive environment, including in future commissioning and procurement processes.

Releasing this information would prejudice the commercial interests of both the ICB and its commissioned providers. Protecting commercially sensitive information permits fair and effective commissioning and system management, ensuring that healthcare services are commissioned and delivered effectively

Balancing Test.

After considering the arguments outlined above, we have decided to withhold this information as the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

13. Responsible commissioning sits with the NHS GM Mental Health Team who can be contacted on gm.icp@nhs.net.