Statement by Labour candidates for election as governors of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
This is a challenging time for the NHS, particularly for mental health services. We are a group of Labour Party members campaigning for genuine parity of esteem for mental health, in order to ensure that patients get the full range of services and quality care that they deserve.
We believe that:
- Prevention is always better than cure, where possible, through the promotion of wellbeing within the community and ensuring that support is available to people who need it sooner rather than later.
- A variety of mental health training within schools, workplaces and communities is essential to reduce the number of admissions, combat stigma and promote mental wellbeing.
- A&E and community services for people experiencing a mental health crisis are currently inadequate and must improve. No patient should have to stay in police custody due to a lack of beds.
- Patients must be treated with the utmost respect and compassion, and their feedback valued along with the opinions of friends and family as well as the wider community.
- Mental health services must be properly funded by the government, including funding aimed at tackling the social factors contributing to mental illness.
As Governors we will ensure that feedback from service users and their friends and families is kept at the forefront of care provision by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. We will make certain that the Trust is properly represented in the “Devo Manc” environment so that services are adequately funded and supported across all of Greater Manchester.
Bryan Blears – Salford
Michael Crouch – Service User and Carer
Peter Dodd – City of Manchester
Thomas McAlpine OBE – City of Manchester
Simon Morton – Staff – Non-Clinical
Voting will open on 14th February 2017. Electors will receive an e mail containing unique voting details
This is the first time we have had an SHA slate in an election. In England you can be a member of your local Foundation Trusts, and there are also many which have a category of membership for the whole of England.