Community mental health services for people with serious mental illness in Northumberland are to receive £2 million of additional funding over the next three years.

The NHS England/Improvement funding is set to support more ‘joined up’ mental health care across a variety of organisations, including hospitals, community organisations, GP practices and charity and voluntary organisations, improving access to care closer to home.

As a result, people with serious mental illness, accessing mental health services and support across Northumberland will receive more holistic and tailored care depending on their need.

Over the next three years, funding will be invested in transforming care for specific mental health conditions. For example, this year the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is employing mental health practitioners to work into primary care in a joint initiative with our six Primary Care Networks to ensure that mental health support and interventions are more accessible.

Kate O’Brien, senior head of commissioning, child health, learning disabilities and mental health, for NHS Northumberland CCG, said: “This is such a welcome and needed programme of work and I am extremely proud to be involved in it. We know it is going to improve the support and care for those that need mental health care across Northumberland. And after the last year and a half, this has never been more important. People have been through a very difficult period and I’m sure many are dealing with some very tough personal challenges and circumstances.

“Working in partnership across the wide range of organisations that provide mental health care and support is absolutely crucial to improve access and for this transformation to be a success and I know all involved are committed to improving the mental wellbeing of those that live in Northumberland. The integrated working across organisations will ensure that there is ‘no wrong door’ to access services and individuals should only need to tell their story once.”