Recent policy, service and financial drivers that are aimed at improving access to psychological services with a particular focus on cognitive behavioural approaches have resulted in a number local and national service planning initiatives. The extent to which these developments ought to be informed by theory and research regarding the transfer of classroom-based learning to the work setting is made clear. The existing evidence base has implications for how education providers develop collaborative curricula with NHS employers in order to prepare students for the practice setting, and for how service providers support the students' knowledge, skills development, skills transfer and consolidation of these within the practice setting. The dangers of assuming that the dissemination of the clinical evidence base is straightforward within complex organizations and the structure of the NHS are also critically discussed.
