Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes welcomes mental health funding for city
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust has received a share of government funding to support mental health care.
The money, which was part of a £343 million national initiative, will provide two new mental health emergency departments and two new community-based mental health centres for the region.
Welcoming the news, Peterborough’s Labour MP Andrew Pakes said it was a “real step towards catching problems early”.
He added: “Mental health comes up on almost every doorstep I knock in Peterborough.
“People telling me they’ve waited months for help, or that the only place they could turn was A&E when things got desperate. That’s not right, and it’s why I’m glad to see this funding coming through.”
While it has not been confirmed where the new centres will be placed, Mr Pakes said he was keen to ensure Peterborough benefitted from them.
Steve Grange, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are really pleased that CPFT has been allocated funding to provide the new mental health emergency departments and community mental health centres.
“More importantly, I am delighted for the residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We have teams that deliver amazing care in the community and on our inpatient wards.
“Indeed, our First Response Service, which was one of the first in the country to provide crisis care and support via the NHS 111 helpline, has now been replicated across the country.
“The new facilities will further improve access for those requiring support, either in mental health crisis or needing community care.”
Mr Grange explained that the community mental health centres would improve access to support before people reached crisis point, while the mental health emergency departments would provide specialist assessment and care for people in mental health crisis.
Detailed plans are to be shared with the public once they have been developed by the trust and its partners.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone.
“But every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E. These new centres will be a lifeline for so many.”