Inspection Shows Mental Health Services Must Improve - Farron
South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has called on the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to urgently improve its mental health provision, as an inspection shows that the Trust "requires improvement".
The Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was inspected by the Care Quality Commission in November last year. The report, released on the 23rd March, has given the trust an overall rating of "Requires Improvement". The trust was rated "good" when it came to providing "caring" services.
In particular, the report highlighted that 'learning disabilities inpatient services' and 'children's community services' were rated "inadequate". Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services were rated as "requires improvement".
Whilst the Trust did point to the work they are doing to improve their 'whole systems approach' to young people's mental health provision, the report stated that the majority of recommendations from the 2012 CAMHS review were still to be implemented.
Tim has long campaigned for better mental health provision, and in 2014 commissioned a report called 'Born in South Lakeland - developing emotionally resilient children' to look at young people's mental health services in South Lakeland.
Tim said: "For far too long, it has been clear that children's mental health services are in urgent need of improvement. In government, the Lib Dems were at the forefront of the fight for increased funding for mental health and parity of esteem with physical health.
"Sadly, this report shows that there is still a long way to go. I receive a lot of harrowing casework from constituents who continue to be let down by inadequate children's mental health services. This must improve - vulnerable young people are being let down.
"The report also highlights the need for improvements in other services, particularly 'learning disabilities inpatient services' and 'children's community services'. I will continue to work with the Trust to do all I can to improve services in the area."