A CONSULTATION has been launched on the future for Worcestershire services that support people with serious mental health difficulties.

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, with local healthcare commissioners, has launched a 10-week consultation into the future of mental health services.

Proposals, which form part of the consultation, were drawn up following months spent speaking to those who currently or have previously used mental health services, as well as carers, staff and members of the wider community.

An advisory group made up of some of those people was also established to review the proposals now being put forward.

The consultation specifically asks for people’s views on proposed changes to ‘community based’ mental health services which work to prevent someone needing admission to a mental health ward. This includes potential changes to some of the sites where these teams are based.

The aim is for future services to support more people in the community, ensuring there is greater emphasis on early support and recovery - as previous services users said these were the priorities which should be at the centre of potential changes.

Mark Dickens, Worcestershire health and care NHS trust’s lead for adult mental health services, said: “The consultation proposals have been informed by months of engagement.

"It has been clear through these conversations that we can re-focus these services in a way which can actually improve their overall effectiveness, support someone’s recovery, and which better reflects what people who have experienced serious mental health conditions tell us works well.

"Mental health can affect any of us so even if you’re not in receipt of services currently, we still want you to take part in this and let us know whether these proposals are right for Worcestershire.”

To find out more about the proposals, and to have a say, hacw.nhs.uk/amhconsultation