Transformation Partners in Health and Care > News and views > New evaluation highlights Sport England and TPHC recommendations on incorporating physical activity into NHS Talking Therapies services  

New evaluation highlights Sport England and TPHC recommendations on incorporating physical activity into NHS Talking Therapies services  

A survey and recommendations of NHS Talking Therapies services, undertaken by TPHC on behalf of Sport England, has been referenced in a newly published evaluation report by National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. The aims of the evaluation were primarily to explore if the incorporation of a physical activity component into psychological treatments in NHS Talking Therapies services improves mental health outcomes. 

The original survey was conducted by TPHC’s Consulting team to capture views and insights from NHS Talking Therapies service users about the opportunities and challenges involved in increasing physical activity to improve health outcomes. Views were sought from NHS Talking Therapies staff, service users and a range of stakeholders.  

Our findings highlighted a wide recognition of the importance of supporting service users to be more physically active, but this was not reflected in the programmes routinely offered by NHS Talking Therapies services. We put forward four key recommendations to help shift the culture within NHS Talking Therapies services:  

  1. Reviewing national NHS Talking Therapies guidance and incentives to make physical activity a priority; 
  1. providing training for staff;  
  1. facilitating collaboration with local partners; and  
  1. promoting and supporting best practice. 

Following the publication of these recommendations, Sport England commissioned Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust to undertake a study to assess the effectiveness of these interventions. iCope, Camden and Islington’s NHS Talking Therapies service, partnered with Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust between October 2020-October 2023 to explore how physical activity can best be integrated into psychological treatment pathways.  

The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, which is a partnership between the Royal College of Psychiatrists and University College London, has published an evaluation of this study, which can be viewed here.

‘‘We are proud of our partnership with Sport England and are encouraged that recommendations following our engagement with NHS Talking Therapies staff and service users have since been piloted by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and partners with demonstrable value and impact.  

‘‘We welcome the findings and evaluation from the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health which demonstrates that incorporating physical activity into psychological treatments is feasible and can contribute to positive effects on mental health outcomes in NHS Talking Therapies service.’ 

– Alkmini Petraki, Assistant Director, TPHC 

Example page from the findings and recommendations report - title page with logos and report title "Exploring how physical activity can be better utilised within NHS Talking Therapies services to help improve mental health outcomes"