Our response to latest Crisis Line Statement

August 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm

We are disappointed by the recent statement released by Bristol Mental Health and Bristol CCG, which now states that the public crisis line will be closed.

This is a u-turn on Bristol Mental Health’s previous statement which said that the telephone service will not be cut, but “redesigned”.

Their latest communication says that a 24 hour telephone line service will continue to be available, however this is only for people who have been referred to the line by professionals, or for people as “part of their identified support”.

Whilst we acknowledge that it is good to hear there will still be a line for some, we have real concerns about what support there will be for those where access to the crisis line is not “part of their identified support”; for those that don’t access mental health services; and for those from transient parts of the population, such as university students that may have a crisis.

It is imperative that there is access to a 24 hour crisis line for all that need it in Bristol. It is also vital that additional alternatives are identified to provide people not in crisis with emotional support where it is required to help prevent any further deterioration in their wellbeing.

We feel that communication from Bristol Mental Health and Bristol CCG has been unclear, and we are concerned about the anxiety that it is causing people. We urge both organisations to give a clear stance on their decision and respond to our calls for a public meeting, taking into consideration the large number of concerns that have arisen as part of our campaign.

We are meeting with both organisations on Friday 9th September, and will post a further update shortly after then.

The latest statement from Bristol Mental Health can be found here.

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August 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm | News | No comment