Mum fears mental health review could lead to cuts

Joanna says she fears that some people might not get the help they need

The mother of a man with schizophrenia fears a consultation into restructuring NHS mental health services could lead to reduced services.

Sussex Partnership NHS foundation Trust (SPFT) provides support for people with mental health issues across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.

The services in each of the three regions are all slightly different, so staff are being asked for their thoughts on plans to merge the teams and roll out a single standardised service.

The trust said it would not be clear until after the consultation whether any job cuts will have to be made, but insisted its service users would not be affected by any changes.

Joanna, whose son has schizophrenia and receives support from the SPFT in West Sussex, said: "If we have reduced people to deliver the service, there's not going to be so much access to resources."

A spokesperson for the trust said the proposals aim to make sure people receive a consistent service, wherever they live in Sussex.

"We are currently consulting with staff about some proposed changes to our mental health rehabilitation services to better meet the needs of our local community," they said.

There are also concerns around plans to change the use of two inpatient facilities.

Rutland Gardens, in Hove, and Shepherd House, in Worthing, are short-term hospitals for people experiencing psychosis.

The trust is considering turning both facilities into long-term facilities for people who have left hospital and can live in the community.

A spokesperson for the SPFT said a high percentage of its inpatients could not leave the hospitals due to a lack of long-term supported living for them to move in to.