New Trust For Mental Health Services?

The first of a series of public consultation meetings takes place next week to find out people’s views on plans for the Somerset’s main provider of mental health services to become an NHS Foundation Trust.

Somerset Partnership NHS and Social Care Trust hope the new powers and freedoms that Foundation Trust status should bring, will deliver significant benefits to local people with mental ill health and learning disabilities.

The first of 12 public consultation meetings takes place at the Charter Hall in Bridgwater, from noon until 1.30pm.
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Trust managers will give a presentation about the benefits of Foundation status for clients, carers and NHS staff at the public meeting and offer a question and answer session.

They will also be explaining how people will be able to have a direct influence of the services such a trust would provide by becoming a supporter on a new council of members.

Some of the key benefits the trust believe foundation status will bring include: More responsive and improved services, with new and innovative ways of working; more specialist services delivered within the county thereby reducing the need for clients to receive treatment outside Somerset and closer working relationships with GPs, hospital trusts, local government.