Cyprus parliament votes to include counselling psychologists in the national health system

The Cypriot House of Representatives has passed an amendment to include counselling psychologists in the General Health System (GHS) as "other health professionals." Implementation will be delayed until the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) concludes consultations with relevant professional bodies. The HIO had previously expressed a preference for this inclusion but argued the legislative change was unnecessary, as existing laws already empower the organization to add new health professional categories. A disagreement persists regarding the scope of services, with psychologists pushing for a wide range of diagnosable conditions to be covered. The HIO currently favors a more limited initial list of diagnoses. During the plenary session, AKEL lawmakers criticized the amendment, suggesting it might be redundant or counterproductive since procedures for integrating these professionals were already underway. Both parties have established a basic framework for cooperation, but the finalized terms remain under negotiation.