Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing hubs launched to help patients

Comedian Matt Richardson and Oxford mayor Lubna Arshad officially opened the new service

A new NHS mental health service, with specialist hubs based across Oxfordshire, has been launched.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust says the Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing hubs will provide intervention for people in need of support.

The service is linked up with GP surgeries and NHS mental health services.

Clinical lead David Chapman said it was about developing services to "suit some of the most complex patients".

Dr Chapman, in charge of mental health at Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System, said: "We have developed a lot of work between the mental health teams and the primary care networks which involves GPs, but also includes our voluntary sector."

The Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing hubs will provide intervention for people in need of support

The trust said patients, carers and clinicians have reported a "significant gap" in services for people with serious mental illnesses "for many years".

The new hubs were designed in conjunction with people who have recently used mental health services themselves.

Peer support worker Aideen-Niamh O'Neill said: "It's really lovely to be part of decision-making, especially when it could actually affect you, and you can see the outcomes of those decisions."

She added: "Normally [having mental health challenges] can be seen as like a barrier, but actually the peer support role opens up that barrier and breaks it down."

Beth Morphy, the primary care mental health team manager, said the teams would be "multi-disciplinary", with "nurses, occupational therapy, psychology, and interesting roles like peer support workers and... the individual placement and support team who help people back into employment".

The service was officially launched by Oxfordshire born comedian Matt Richardson at local social enterprise the Community Café, run by Oxford Community Action.

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