New mental health service in Gosport and Fareham to make sure nobody slips through the net

A community support project is set to be launched in both towns, supplementing the pre-existing mental health services available.

Run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and The Princess Royal Trust, the consultation aims to identify any gaps in the current service, which will steer the course for this new project.

A meeting was held in Gosport on Tuesday, January 7, with a second meeting at St Margaret Mary RC Church hall in Middle Road, Park Gate, on ThursdayJAN16.

Kerry Hearsey MBE is the chief executive of The Princess Royal Trust.

She believes the service will be focusing more on day-to-day mental health challenges.

‘We are still in the process of gathering the views of those with mental health problems,’ she said.

‘From what we’ve seen so far, there are some people who may need low-level support, but don’t fit into a mental health team’s criteria.

‘Perhaps they've lost their job or are in financial difficulty – that's the sort of person we want to reach out to.’

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and Solent NHS Trust are the main providers of mental health care in Gosport and Fareham.

The NHS states that one in four people will experience some sort of mental illness during their lives.

But this new project, which will likely support people on a one-to-one basis, will also serve to ease the pressure on the current services, nipping mental health problems in the bud before they can become more serious.

Ms Hearsey explained: ‘The crucial goal of this service is to prevent people from dropping into mental health services.

‘We want to be as flexible as possible with this project, to deliver individual packages tailor-made to help people as much as we can.

‘It will be trialled in Gosport and Fareham but can hopefully be delivered across Hampshire’

The meeting at St Margaret Mary RC Church hall this week will run from 5pm to 8pm.

Anyone affected by mental health issues is welcome to attend and have their say.

For information call 01264 835246.