The NHS could save more than £420 million annually by treating health anxiety, including 'cyberchondria' caused by obsessively searching symptoms online, a study has estimated. Researchers say the savings could be made solely from hospital outpatient care, as therapy reduces unnecessary appointments.
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research and involving Imperial College London and King's College London, found that offering cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to patients with health anxiety reduces symptoms and hospital visits. At least one in five outpatient appointments involve a patient with health anxiety, yet only one in ten are diagnosed.
Many patients have recovered from serious illnesses but fear a recurrence, with symptoms persisting despite medical reassurance. Examples from the study include a man who, after a cardiac arrest, visited A&E for every headache and a heart attack survivor too anxious to leave home to feed his chickens.
A trial of 444 patients showed that CBT produced lasting improvements, with patients still doing well five years later. Even explaining health anxiety to patients helped. The researchers are urging the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to issue guidelines for managing the condition across all hospital trusts.
Yvonne Lisseman Stones, a nurse involved in the study, described it as the most satisfying project in her 40-year career, citing a patient who climbed Mount Snowdon after therapy. The findings highlight the potential to transform lives while reducing NHS costs.
