By Gillian Ellison

Last updated 10:19, Thursday, 24 July 2008

CONCERNS were raised this week about plans for mental health services.

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EXPLAINING THE FACTS: Nigel Maguire

Around 50 people attended a meeting at Whitehaven Civic Hall to speak out, ask questions and hear proposals on changes to inpatient services.

Proposed changes include some West Cumbrian patients – those who have severe dementia with challenging behaviour – being required to go to Carlisle for inpatient care.

Following the closure of Windermere ward, female patients with severe dementia were required to travel to Carleton Clinic for inpatient care. And now, under the new proposals, men with severe dementia would also go to Carlisle.

Currently there is the 15-bed Lakelands unit at Workington which provides for male patients with severe dementia. But under the new plans these beds would be used to provide extra places for elderly mentally ill patients in West Cumbria.

West Cumberland Hospital’s Yewdale Ward, which cares for people with mental health problems such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, will be replaced by an equivalent crisis and assessment unit (16 beds) in West Cumbria. The location has yet to be decided.

Nigel Maguire, director of market management for Cumbria Primary Care Trust, said it was planned to invest well over £1m into primary care mental health services for treatments and assessments, as well as providing modern inpatient care.

At the moment people can wait up to six months for talking therapy and there are plans to cut that to two weeks within 18 months.

“We recognise that there are gaps and that we have to move on to bridge those gaps,” he said.

He said only a small number of people across the county required inpatient services.

Intensive care services at Carlisle were planned to expand to also cover south Cumbria to prevent people having to go out of county for care.

And a specialist unit for rehabilitation and recovery was planned for Carlisle, to help people receive treatment in the county instead of out of the area, as well as offering modern services. There will also be improved rehabilitation services in the community, he said.

Chris Hallewell, medical director of Cumbria Partnership Trust, said there were about 5,000 people with dementia in Cumbria and of those, around 20-25 needed to be in a hospital bed.

He said most were helped in their homes, in the community or in residential homes.

Norman Clarkson, county and district councillor, asked: “Why can’t we centralise facilities at Whitehaven?”

Mr Maguire said: “The current service is based at Carlisle, the staff and expertise are based at Carlisle, it’s about building on the service that we have got, we do need one central service.”

Jim Bradley, of Cumbria Mental Health Group, asked about the “significant problem” of the small number of people who would be required to travel to Carlisle to see their loved ones which “is an integral part of their recovery”.

Mr Maguire replied: “Transport is critical and we do need to look at the options for those small number of people to ensure that they have contact.”

Coun Geoff Garrity asked if the crisis and assessment unit planned to replace Yewdale would be 24-hour.

Daniel Schaffer, acting director of mental health services, said: “It will be similar to the unit already provided, fully staffed with doctors and nurses at it is now.”

Christine Wharrier, a Unison convenor at West Cumberland Hospital, claimed Yewdale ward had been run down and that the new unit would not be a ward but an assessment unit.

Mr Hallewell said: “Yewdale ward has not been wound down and there’s no reason why that’s going to change. There is commitment to provide inpatient service in West Cumbria.”

Mrs Wharrier also said moving care to Carlisle for patients who, for example, have Alzheimer’s, was a backward step.

Mr Hallewell said that there would not be an overall reduction of provision in West Cumbria because the Lakelands Unit would still provide beds for elderly people with mental health problems.

Alan Heath, of Mind West Cumbria, said more pressure was being put on carers and asked what help they would be given.

Mr Hallewell said carers would not be disregarded and that their needs would also be looked at.

One service user said the quality of care varied between Carlisle and Whitehaven. “In Carlisle there is good access to doctors, a theraputic environment but in Whitehaven it is not similar, you barely get access to nurses on a one to one basis.”

She also asked why the meeting was being held during the day instead of after hours like other public meetings.

Mr Hallewell said: “We are committed to making sure that the quality of care is good in all of our units. We get a lot of different feedback from different people.”

One carer said the new proposals seemed to rely heavily on the voluntary sector and asked where they would come from.

Mr Maguire said that many mental health charities, such as Mind, are paid to provide services.

Chris Graham, chief executive of the Croftlands Trust, a charity which supports around 500 people in Cumbria, said the voluntary sector already provides some core services.

Patricia Sharkey, one of the organisers of a new mental health support group in Cleator Moor – Blue Skies – said there was a lack of support in the community.

“The group is self funded, it has been going for nine months, with my own money and I aim to bring support to Copeland,” she said.

The consultation document – Mental Health Services in Cumbria – can be obtained by telephoning 08447 280107 or email nhsconsultation@cumbriapct.nhs.uk

Send responses to Freepost RRUX-JJHZ-XAES, Cumbria Primary Care Trust, Penrith Hospital, Bridge Lane, Penrith, CA11 8HX, or email nhsconsultation@cumbriapct.nhs.uk, or telephone 08447 280107.

The consultation period runs until Tuesday, September 30.