Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe SmithChloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North will be having an urgent meeting with Norwich CCG on Thursday 3rd March 2016 to discuss parity of funding for Mental Health Services.
Last week Chloe wrote to the Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) seeking urgent meetings following the announcement that Norwich and Central Norfolk Mind Charity will not continue to receive funding for their mental health line.
Chloe will be having an urgent meetings on behalf of the charity with Jo Smithson, CEO of Norwich CCG to see whether additional funding can be found.
The announcement on 15th February confirmed that the Norwich and Central Norfolk Mind Charity will not continue to receive funding after 31st March 2016. Since 1st August 2015, the mental health support line has taken near to 5,000 calls, a service which Norwich Mind has argued has kept many people out of acute mental health beds and A&E.
Chloe is also seeking an urgent meeting with the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to discuss Mind’s funding.
Chloe comments: “I am extremely concerned to hear this news and I am looking forward to this urgent meeting with Norwich CCG to discuss this decision and what other alternatives might be available. Central government has made funding available so that mental and physical health are to be treated equally, and I want to make sure this happens in Norwich. I look forward to a constructive discussion on how Norwich CCG will ensure that mental health receives the funding it needs.”
Last year Norwich Mind were also threatened with the possibility of lack of continued funding from the CCG. Chloe successfully campaigned on their behalf to for funds to be continued.