Changes To Mental Health Services Revealed In Newcastle and Gateshead

If you live in Gateshead or Newcastle, from today you will be able to have your say on how mental health is treated locally.

Different scenarios are being unveiled to the public - on how local mental health services could be arranged in the future.

Over the last year the local NHS has been asking people who use mental health services, their families, carers, mental health professionals and service providers for their views on what can be improved.

In particular in the way specialist mental health services are arranged in Gateshead and Newcastle.

As a result, the local NHS has proposed several different ways that in-patient and community mental health services could be arranged in the future.

All of the scenarios include improvements to the way service users and carers are able to access services and get the support they need.

Dr Guy Pilkington is chair of the Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group.

"There are gaps in what we are able to do about supporting people while they are still at home. In ways that are safe, easy to access and responsive to peoples needs. We need to build those up, the only way we can do that is by rationalising the way we spend money in hospital."

You can read more about the Deciding Together Campaign