Calling to reinstate a Mental Health Unit in Medway – a year on

Early 2018, Medway Liberal Democrats launched a major campaign highlighting Mental Health services both in general at a local level and in particular with regard to the issue of referring patients out of area.

Our campaign to ensure more people can access mental health services instead of being referred out of area resulted in a petition signed by an amazing 1,200 people across the Medway Towns and the surrounding area of Kent, which is also affected by out of area referrals needed as a consequences of closing the Mental Health Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital in 2013. The signatures were collected online, on doorsteps and at a series of street campaigns organised by local Liberal Democrat members and calls for the reinstatement of a Mental Health Unit in Medway.

July 2018, the petition was handed in to the Department of Health and we were joined by Norman Lamb MP, the Liberal Democrat former Health Minister, who is a strong advocate for greater awareness and better care provision in Mental Health and who in government pushed for parity of esteem between mental health and physical health.

We believe that with a population of approximately 270,000 people, Medway is big enough that its Health Trust should be able to provide these services to local people. The signatories of our petition agree with us and many have spoken to us saying that action is needed to address this and other issues affecting Mental Health provision in Medway. The petition sends a strong message calling on the Department of Health to reinstate a fit for purpose Mental Health Unit in Medway.

In common with our petition we have had people come forward to tell us that out of area referrals cost more and impacts on the quality of patient treatment, in that distance in many instances isolates patients from their family members who then find it difficult to travel to visit them. For many, that family support is essential in the aid to recovery. All over the country out of area treatment for Mental Health is now being regarded as standard practice and the Liberal Democrats strongly believe this is not in the best interests of patients and does not provide good quality of care.

We have petitioned the people with the power to reinstate the unit in Medway. Medway Council does not have power to act on this issue, however we have asked questions and they responded stating that Medway Councillors opposed the closure.

Only by keeping up public pressure can the authorities be made to listen. At some time in their lives everyone is sure to come in contact with a mental health issue either for themselves, family or friends so we will continue to press for local facilities for the people of Medway.