Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT), the mental health care providers in our Borough, and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group are consulting on their local services. The proposal, ‘New Dawn’, aims to; develop community services, improve diagnosis and preventative services; and to reduce the need for acute inpatient beds and prevent out of area placements.
Whilst I welcome the move to expand and improve community led mental health services in Solihull, I understand that there is growing concern amongst local service users that changes to mental health provision in our partner city of Birmingham has begun to have a knock-on effect in our communities.
I have learnt that here in Solihull the CCG treats less than 1% of mental health patients through inpatient services. Moreover, that concerns over the resilience and safety of staffing at Bruce Burns as a standalone unit, the quality of the building, the use of mixed sex wards, and the safety of patients and the public are collectively contributing towards making the unit less sustainable for BSMHFT in the long term.
Nevertheless, having met with local residents to discuss this consultation and the proposed closure of the Bruce Burns Unit, I appreciate the travel entailed in attending other units is daunting. For that reason, I am working closely with the Solihull Clinical Commission Group to ensure that patient services in the community are improved and to ensure the success of the ‘New Dawn’ programme.
We have seen improvements in local provision; for example, the Avery House in Smith’s Wood has already begun to make a big difference in our Borough. However, service users and their families’ need assurances that should the Bruce Burns Unit close and inpatient care be relocated to Birmingham, that these services will not only be accessible to them, but that the correct, high quality treatment will be also be available.
For that reason, I have raised the concerns brought to me by local residents about the closure of the inpatient Unit at Solihull Hospital with the Chief Executive of BSMHFT, and urge local residents to take part in the consultation – which can be found on the Solihull CCG website.
Tackling poor mental health and providing greater support for those affected by it across our Borough must be a priority.
CAROLINE SPELMAN