HEALTH chiefs have today unveiled proposals to tackle the mental health care crisis in the county.

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has launched a two-month Mental Health Acute Care Pathway (MHACP) public consultation - and is urging the public to have their say at drop-in events.

Experts say service users are ‘not having their needs met’ due to a rise in demand, too few beds and a workforce crisis. This is despite Dorset having higher than average rates of serious mental illness with more than 7000 people on the GP register.

Preferred proposals set out in the 19 page document include to:

Close the Linden Unit, a 15 bed mental health inpatient unit at Westhaven Hospital in Weymouth, and to increase the number of beds at St Ann’s Hospital in Poole from 67 to 94 with an additional four beds at Forston Clinic near Dorchester.

Create two ‘retreats’ in Bournemouth and one in Dorchester where people can self-refer as an alternative to A&E and police custody.

Introduce ‘community front rooms’ for support in cafes, day centres, libraries or supported housing in Swanage, Bridport and Sturminster Newton

Under plans, seven recovery beds as an alternative to hospital would be introduced as well as a new 24/7 phone and digital support service to offer advice.

Dorset CCG and Dorset HealthCare say the plans would enable people to ‘manage their own crisis’ earlier.

But the proposals would mean a change in staffing including more ‘peer support workers’ who would integrate with clinically qualified mental health teams.

It comes after a recruitment crisis meant Dorset HealthCare spent £12 million last year on covering

vacant posts so it could deliver vital services.

Pressure on inpatient beds is ‘not sustainable’ with people being sent across the country for treatment, the review adds. As reported in the Daily Echo last year, a report detailed around 500 people travelled more than 30 miles for emergency treatment across the country every month, some as far as Yorkshire or Greater Manchester. The independent commission report condemned the controversial practice of sending ill people long distances for treatment and called for a stop to the practice by October 2017. Paul French, Dorset CCG clinical lead for mental health, said: “Having worked hard with local service users, carers and clinicians I am delighted that we are now able to start seeking views on our proposals, which I believe will see real improvements to mental health services in Dorset.”

For information go to dorsetsvision.nhs.uk or call 01202 541946.

“Over the coming weeks I would encourage everyone who has either used mental health services, knows someone who has, or simply has a view, to find out more and have their say.”