Mental health services host a visit from Hunt

VISIT . . . At Pennine Care are (back l-r) Mike Liffen, Dario Griffiths, Jeremy Hunt, Michael McCourt, Dil Jauffur, Dr Henry Ticehurst. Front: Mark Hepburn and Fiona Christopher

MENTAL health services in the area were visited by Jeremy Hunt after the after the Department of Health awarded £705,000 to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust to improve services.

The Secretary of State visited two of Pennine Care's mental health units to see how the funding, which includes £400,000 to develop a new crisis café/sanctuary in Oldham for people experiencing a mental health crisis, to reduce the number of people needing to call emergency services or attending A&E.

A further £300,000 has also been given to improve wards for adults and people who are detained under the Mental Health Act during a crisis.

During the visit the Health Secretary talked with staff and service users about their experiences and the challenges facing frontline mental health services.

He said: "Staff at Pennine Care deal with some of the NHS's most vulnerable patients every day.

"These individuals rightly expect the best possible quality of care and services and I'm really impressed by the efforts I've seen here today to create a safe and caring environment."

Mr Hunt visited Prospect Place in Rochdale, a unit for men who have longer term mental health problems and require rehabilitation in a secure environment and a ward for adults who are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to be admitted to a mental health unit.

Chief executive Michael McCourt said: "It was fantastic to welcome Mr Hunt to Pennine Care. He saw examples of staff working hard to deliver excellent care, under difficult circumstances.

"The funding will greatly help towards improving our facilities so that we can ensure service users feel welcome and valued during what is a very difficult time in their lives."

The funding was awarded as part of a Department of Health programme to improve places of safety for mental health across the country. Pennine Care prepared a bid for the funding in collaboration with partners from Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authorities.

Pennine Care provides health services to 1.3 million people in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop and Trafford.