DEBBIE ABRAHAMS, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, has praised local mental health services as she launched her third NHS Check Oldham report.
Mrs Abrahams named improvements to mental health services across the borough as one of her top ten constituency priorities over the last few years.
Her recent report looks at the reduced waiting times that have been achieved as well as the care and support available for people with mental health conditions.
Mrs Abrahams said: “My report looks at how mental health waiting times in Oldham were some of the worst in the country for 2013/14 and analyses improvements since.
“Last year, I demanded an explanation from Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for poor performance on waiting times and what action they would take to improve services.
“Since then waiting times have dramatically reduced and funding has increased to Pennine Care, the local mental health trust, although I continue to closely monitor improvements.
“In the last 18 months the number of constituents who contacted me with problems in accessing services have increased and House of Commons Library figures showed the CCG was the 7th worst in the country for waits over 90 days for psychological therapies.
“I am pleased local health services had a plan to respond and have made significant improvements since 2013.”
Adrian White, 50, from Grotton, has used local mental health services after leaving his job in 2014 suffering from depression as a result of severe workplace bullying.
He welcomed Mrs Abrahams’ efforts to highlight local mental health provision, saying: “I know from personal experience how important it is to get timely support for mental health issues.
“That’s what helped me in my recovery, put that chapter of my life behind me and get back on my feet to look for work again.
“We need to raise awareness of mental health problems and how common they are to enable us to address the stigma so many people with mental health problems face.
“My family were brilliant in supporting me but you also need good quality professional help too and Debbie’s series of NHS Check Oldham reports is a good way of keeping the focus on mental health issues that affect local people.”
Mrs Abrahams added: “A BBC investigation with the journal Community Care published in March showed Mental Health Trusts have had their budgets cut by eight per cent in real terms – the equivalent of £600m being taken from mental health services.
“There are also hundreds fewer mental health doctors and thousands fewer mental health nurses compared to 2010.
“We have seen key prevention and early intervention services stripped back. This has led to greater pressures on the NHS, including a growing number of young people being placed in adult wards, and many sent hundreds of miles for hospital care as a result of bed shortages.
“Labour will bring together physical health, mental health and social care into a single system that will also ensure mental health problems get picked up and treated.
“In addition, we will set out a strategy and timetable to deliver a waitingtime standard of 28 days for access to talking therapies and to ensure all children have access to school‐based counselling or therapy if they need it.”
The full third NHS Check Oldham report can be viewed on Debbie Abrahams’ website.
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