Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that mental health charities are adequately supported in the North West.

Mental health charities make a hugely valuable contribution to the health and wellbeing of local communities around the country, including in the North West.

The 10-Year Health Plan set out our commitment to build a Neighbourhood Health Service. This will be integral to how we work in partnership with a full range of public services and other partners, including the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector. Effective partnerships between these groups will be crucial to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way. This will deliver more preventative, local, personalised and digitally enabled care.

Transforming the system will take time, but we are committed to delivering a new approach to mental health. Six community-based 24/7 mental health centres are now operating across England, including one in Copeland, Cumbria. These centres provide open access to treatment and support for adults with severe mental health needs. The centres intend to improve continuity of care, drive down waits and reduce inpatient admissions. They are in the heart of communities and involve multidisciplinary working between psychiatrists, mental health professionals, peer support workers, and voluntary sector staff.