Unexpected support for children in need of specialist mental health treatment
Paul Bone contacted Viking after hearing Sally Burke's story.
After we told you yesterday about delays in a new mental health unit in Hull and how it means more suffering for young people in our region, well some unexpected support has now come in from the local community.
Paul Bone, a local taxi driver, contacted Viking after hearing Sally Burke's story.
Sally faces even more 200-mile trips to Manchester for specialist treatment for her autistic daughter, Maisie, because of further delays in opening a specialist unit for young people in Hull.
Paul was that taken aback that he's now offering to take Sally and other families there himself for free!
Sally has been leading the campaign to get a new mental health unit for children and young people in Hull, after the only one in our region closed in 2013.
In June, NHS England confirmed that the plans would go ahead, but just this week announced they have now been pushed back.
But they insist they are still committed to getting the facility open as soon as possible.
An NHS spokesperson told Viking:
“We appreciate the urgent need for child and adolescent mental health beds for the Humber area and this is why we have prioritised the work to procure a new 11 bedded unit in the area. Procurement law means we have to go through a rigorous process to ensure the awarding of any such public contract is fair, transparent and legal and this is what we are doing.
"We expect an invitation to tender to go out to the market shortly and will publicise the details when it is issued. NHS England is committed to getting this new facility open for the young people of the area as soon as we can.”