MP presents youth mental health petition to local health boss

Local MP Tim Farron has handed over a petition calling for there to an be out-of-hours service for young people experiencing a mental health crisis in South Cumbria.

The petition, which has over 2,200 signatures, was presented to Andrew Bennett, the Chief Officer of the Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group - the organisation which holds the purse strings for health services across South Cumbria.

Currently, young people in the South Lakes can only access the specialist mental health crisis team from 9-5 on weekdays.

However, the crisis team in the North of the county is open from 9-8, with a weekend service running from 10-1.

Tim said: "I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has signed and shared this petition over the past 10 days.

"I've been moved by the steady flow of emails and messages from parents, including some from the waiting room, who have experienced what it's like when their child has a mental health crisis in the evening or on a weekend, when there is no help available.

"The reaction to our campaign from both the CCG and the Cumbria Partnership Trust to try and find a solution to this has been very encouraging.

"But we need to keep the pressure up, as it's only by working together that we can secure better mental health services for young people in our area."