The government has issued an update on mental health services in Greater Manchester, addressing the concerns raised by an MP regarding the inadequate support and care for individuals with mental health issues in the region. The MP, Andrew Gwynne, questioned the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, about the state of mental health services in Greater Manchester, citing years of crises among the region's mental health providers. Both main mental health care trusts in the region have faced whistleblowing and safety concerns, as well as damning health watchdog reports. People with severe mental illness in Manchester are more likely to die prematurely than anywhere else in the country, according to the Manchester Evening News. The demand for mental health care across the nation, including Greater Manchester, has skyrocketed following the pandemic. The government has responded by recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers, including psychiatrists, by the end of this Parliament, which is more than halfway towards the target. The 10-Year Health Plan aims to boost mental health support across the country, including in Greater Manchester, by transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighborhood mental health centers and investing up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to 85. However, the region's largest mental health provider, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), faced an undercover Panorama investigation in 2022 over alleged abuse of vulnerable patients in one of its facilities. The Edenfield Centre facility was shut down to new patients as internal, independent, and criminal investigations began. The trust was rated 'inadequate' in 2023 and served with another warning to improve rapidly in June 2024, following major concerns across all of its services in Greater Manchester. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, the other major mental health care provider in the region, was also rated as requiring improvement by health watchdogs in 2019. Last year, health watchdogs visited units operated by Pennine Care following safety concerns from whistleblowers and people using the units between June and October 2024, with concerns proven to be 'substantiated'. The CQC found breaches to people's safety and patients' consent to care and treatment, as well as a lack of staff with the right skills and training. The trust was served with a warning notice to make rapid changes. Pennine Care provides mental health services across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside, and Stockport, including in hospitals, to over 70,000 people as of 2023/24. GMMH provides mental health services across Bolton, Manchester, Trafford, Wigan, and other areas of the north west, including in hospitals, to over 97,000 people as of 2024.
