Bupa Mental Health Network FAQs

Last November, we told you how Bupa had sought our advice on selecting appropriately qualified psychologists for its new Mental Health Network.

Subsequently, they decided that all Bupa-recognised psychologists should not only be HPC registered but should also have been a Chartered Psychologist for a minimum of five years.

We also reported that Bupa had revised its procedures so that GPs can now refer patients directly to a Bupa-recognised psychologist without prior referral to a psychiatrist resulting in an increase in referrals to psychologists.

Since then, we have received a number of queries from Society members who are Bupa-recognised (or who have applied for Bupa recognition) regarding this referral process, so we asked Sunita Patel (Healthcare Commissioning Executive for Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK) to answer some of the most common ones below.

There is a perception amongst BPS members that Bupa will only cover clients for five therapy sessions - is this correct?

This is not the case - Bupa do not limit cover to five sessions where there is evidence that more is needed. Bupa does not fund therapy for chronic conditions or the ongoing maintenance or monitoring of a condition but do fund treatment delivered to support acute clinical need and to prevent relapse. We also expect clients to receive therapy guided by the supporting evidence and research.

To monitor funding of outpatient mental health therapy against policy entitlements, Bupa have introduced a requirement for a checkpoint after five sessions. Further sessions will then be funded where this is in line with clinical guidelines (including those produced by NICE and the DH) and where the outpatient therapy benefit limits in the client's Bupa membership policy have not been reached.

At the checkpoint of five sessions, Bupa may request further information (for example, concerning the progress of treatment and the original treatment plan) to enable us to make a decision about funding further treatment. This process will be repeated if additional sessions are required. In addition, a high level assessment of the client's condition, in addition to the treatment plan, may be required from the client or, if more appropriate, from the therapist.

Who covers the costs of a missed appointment?

If no adequate notice of a missed appointment is given, the client is normally expected to pay. We would expect that the therapist and client would agree what period of time was adequate for notice of cancellation and that this would be made clear to the client. If the agreed notice was not given, then it would be the responsibility of the therapist to recover any outstanding fees for the missed session. We do not encourage breaks in the treatment plan agreed between the therapist and client.

Can a client continue to see a therapist on a self-pay basis following the finishing of private medical insurance funding?

Yes they can. This would be something that the therapist and member would agree between them.