Burnham-On-Sea’s MP James Heappey has this week asked Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price about mental health services in Somerset.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, the MP said: “Does the Minister agree with me that a better lay down of mental health services, so that there are crisis houses and step down facilities that might stop people needing to be admitted to acute mental health facilities in the first place or support them after they are discharged, is better?
“Will she join me in encouraging Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group to make sure those services are available in our county too.”
Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price responded: “I think my honourable friend reached the nub of the issue in his final statement which is that commissioning is something for local commissioning groups, but through things like this CQC (Care Quality Commission) report, plus the work we’re doing… we are trying to make sure there is a consistent application of good quality services around the country. It’s fair to say while we find some centres excellent, in some areas services are patchy. Where it’s less good, clearly it leads to worse outcomes. We are determined to the best we can to promote the best possible services across the country.”
