We can only supply information based on patients that have a Bi Polar diagnosis from our
community teams. This information is held on a different system to that used by IAPT services
and therefore we have used a data query to add the diagnosis information to the IAPT data.
For the purposes of this FOI we have taken the definition of a bi polar diagnosis to mean where
a patient has been diagnosed with at least one of the below within our community data.
Bipolar affective disorder
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode hypomanic
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode manic with psychotic symptoms
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode manic without psychotic symptoms
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode mild or moderate depression
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode mixed
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode severe depression with psychotic symptoms
Bipolar affective disorder, current episode severe depression without psychotic
symptoms
Bipolar affective disorder, currently in remission
Bipolar affective disorder, unspecified
Other bipolar affective disorders
1. Do you have local policies/guidelines about accepting referrals for those with Bipolar
Disorder in your IAPT services? Yes/No.
Yes
b. Is Bipolar Disorder an exclusion criterion for your services? Yes/No
No
c. Does your service work with Bipolar Disorder specifically, or other issues in the context
of Bipolar Disorder e.g. anxiety, PTSD.?
We do not treat bipolar as a presenting problem, but may treat a common mental health problem
if the client has stable bipolar
2. Do you routinely screen for Bipolar Disorder in initial assessments?
No
3. Have your staff received training about Bipolar Disorder tick all that apply.?
No training
4. In the past two years, how many referrals have you received in total?
Below is a count of the total number of referrals received into IAPT Services between
01/01/2021 and 31/01/2022.
Year Total
2021 17332
2022 14749
Total 32081
Question 4a
Of the total in question 4, how many of these patients had a diagnosis of Bipolar at the
time of the referral?
Year Total
2021 46
2022 51
Total 97
5. In the past two years, how many referrals were not accepted at the point of referral
without an assessment. in total?
Below provides the total number of referrals which were discharged from IAPT Services
between 01/01/2021 and 31/01/2022 without attending an appointment.
Year Total
2021 3685
2022 2946
Total 6631
5a How many of these were due to Bipolar Disorder?
GHC IAPT Services do not discharge because a patient has bipolar and subsequently we have
interpreted this question to mean of the patients in Question 5 how many had a diagnosis of
bipolar at the time of referral.
Year Total
2021 20
2022 12
Total 32
6. In the past two years, how many referrals were offered an assessment/screening and
then discharged without being offered therapy?
Below provides the total number of referrals which were discharged from IAPT services
between 01/01/2021 and 31/01/2022 who were seen by the service but were not treated.
Year Total
2021 74
2022 38
Total 113
6a. How many of these were due to Bipolar Disorder?
GHC IAPT Services do not discharge because a patient has bipolar. Subsequently we have
interpreted this question to mean of the referrals in question 6, how many of these patients had
a diagnosis of Bipolar at the time of referral.
Year Total
2021 0
2022 0
Total 0
7. In the past two years, how many people have entered treatment with you in total 2 or
more active sessions.?
Below provides the total number of referrals where the patient completed treatment between
01/01/2021 and 31/01/2022. For a patient to have completed treatment they must have
attended 2 or more treatment appointments with IAPT Services.
Year Total
2021 7282
2022 6100
Total 13,382
7a. How many of these had Bipolar Disorder?
Of the referrals in question 7, how many of these patients had a diagnosis of Bipolar at the time
of referral
Year Total
2021 15
2022 7
Total 22
Questions 8, 9 and 10 have the same response as question 7
FOI Request
IAPT and Bipolar: Freedom of Information Request for Services
Version 1, 09/08/2022
Please enter the name of your NHS trust or IAPT service name and location: _____________________
1. Do you have local policies/guidelines about accepting referrals for those with Bipolar Disorder in your IAPT services? Yes/No.
a. If NO, please give details why this is e.g. national guidelines or local policies:_____________
b. Is Bipolar Disorder an exclusion criteria for your services? Yes/No
c. Does your service work with Bipolar Disorder specifically, or other issues in the context of Bipolar Disorder e.g. anxiety, PTSD.?
• Bipolar disorder specifically.
• Other issues in the context of Bipolar Disorder e.g. anxiety, PTSD..
• Both
2. Do you routinely screen for Bipolar Disorder in initial assessments? Yes/No.
Please give details here if you wish:__________________
a. If YES, what is the process you use for screening?
• Self-report measure e.g. mood disorders questionnaire, hypomania checklist.
• Structured interview questions
• Other Please state.:___________________
b. If YES, what is the process when you suspect somebody has Bipolar disorder?
• Continue usual IAPT treatment
• Continue IAPT treatment with adaptations for Bipolar
• Refer back to GP
• Refer to secondary mental health team
• Other Please state.:___________________
3. Have your staff received training about Bipolar Disorder tick all that apply.?
• Training on screening for Bipolar Disorder
• Training on psychological therapies for Bipolar Disorder
• No training
• Other Please state.:___________________
4. In the past two years, how many referrals have you received in total?__________
a. How many of these people had a Bipolar disorder diagnosis at the point of referral? ______________ Not known
5. In the past two years, how many referrals were not accepted at the point of referral without an assessment. in total?_____________ Not known
a. How many of these were due to Bipolar Disorder? _____________ Not known
6. In the past two years, how many referrals were offered an assessment/screening and then discharged without being offered therapy?_____________ Not known
a. How many of these were due to Bipolar Disorder? _____________ Not known
7. In the past two years, how many people have entered treatment with you in total 2 or more active sessions.? ___________ a. How many of these had Bipolar Disorder?____________ Not known
8. What is your definition of treatment completion?_______ Not known
9. In the past two years, how many people who entered treatment have completed the scheduled treatment with you? ___________ a. How many of these had Bipolar Disorder?____________ Not known
10. In the past two years, how many people have completed treatment with you in total using your service definition on of completion? ___________ a. How many of these had Bipolar Disorder?____________ Not known