RESIDENTS are urged to give their views on the future of mental health services across the county.

Drop-in events will take place from 11am until 6.30pm at Bournemouth Library tomorrow (Wednesday, February 8), at The Corn Exchange, Wareham on Wednesday, February 15 and Christchurch Library on Thursday, February 16.

As previously reported, Dorset CCG has launched a public consultation into proposed changes amid a crisis where people ‘are not having their needs met’ due to a rise in demand, too few beds in the county and a workforce crisis.

Preferred proposals include closing the Linden Unit, a 15 bed mental health inpatient unit in Weymouth, and to increase the number of beds at St Ann’s Hospital in Poole from 67 to 94.

There are also plans to create ‘retreats’ in Bournemouth and Dorchester where people can self-refer and ‘community front rooms’ for support staffed by a mix of clinically qualified teams and ‘peer support workers.’

For information on the consultation which runs until March 31, go to www.dorsetsvision.nhs.uk.