‘Young people are getting the worst deal from local mental health services’ – MP calls for emergency package to rescue services

Local MP Tim Farron fears local mental health services are even worse than they look following today's CQC report into Cumbria Partnership Trust.

The report found that the 'responsiveness' of mental health services for young people has gone from requiring improvement to being inadequate.

Overall, it states that the Trust requires improvement in four out of five areas rated by inspectors, including safety.

Tim has written to Jeremy Hunt calling for the Government to provide an emergency package to rescue the services.

However, the CQC does praise the compassion of local staff and rates every single service as 'good' or 'outstanding' for the care provided to patients in Cumbria.

Tim said: "The frontline staff do an amazing job and so it comes as no surprise that the CQC report recognises the staff as being both kind and caring.

"However, in every other area the report makes for less good reading.

"Speaking to the Trust this afternoon it's clear that they are working really hard to do their best for local people, but the simple fact remains that they are being starved of resources by central Government.

"What really worries me is that when it comes to mental health services, the report only reveals only half the problem.

"When we commissioned our report into young people's mental health provision in South Lakeland we found that the biggest problem was that young people with mental health problems and their parents don't know where to go to get help in the first place.

"The CQC didn't even look into that issue for this report - which means that the local services are even worse than they look."

"Young people with mental health services are continuing to be let down and I will work with the Trust in whatever way I can to right this devastating wrong."