A big demonstration is being planned in Frome for this coming Saturday to draw attention to the proposed closure of the last mental health ward in Mendip at the end of the month

The Day of Action for St Andrew's ward on Saturday 11th Sept at 2pm at the Market Cross where you can hear more about their fight to stop the closure of the ward will impact vulnerable people in crisis, to demonstrate how the gaps in the system mean that people are not "caught" when they need help.

They said : " It is really important that the people of Frome are made aware of this closure as they are a large town in Mendip and St Andrew's is their nearest ward. Please come with banners and be prepared to raise awareness in a covid-safe way. "

Campaigners are also hoping to hit a target of 3,000 signatures on their active petition which you can join HERE :

the Save St Andrew's Ward petition

Save the Ward background from the campaign

Mind, the mental health charity, state that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem every year. Even before the covid pandemic hit, suicide cases were on the rise and Somerset is an area with above average suicides compared to England as a whole (11.8 suicides per 100,000 in Somerset, compared to 9.6 per 100,000 in England). 55% of working days lost in 2019/20 were due to stress, anxiety and depression, that is 17.9 million working days lost a year.

Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group announced the decision to close St Andrew's ward in Wells on 24th September, after a three month consultation period, even though 54% of respondents stated they wanted the ward to remain open. They argue that, even though they have received extra funding to spend on "transforming mental health services", they are instead choosing to remove the remaining ward in Wells to Yeovil. They claim that stand-alone wards, such as St Andrew's, are not safe and that it is located too far away from an Emergency Department, so the ward should close and be relocated to Yeovil.

Closing and relocating to Yeovil

However, there is no actual substance to these claims as the CCG were unable to back them up with any actual incidents. Mental health wards very rarely send patients to A&E, and in this respect they are no more in need of being close to an Emergency Department than anyone else in Mendip. If the stand-alone ward is an issue, then Phoenix ward should never have been closed. We call upon the CCG to use this money to reopen Phoenix ward and to fund mental health services in Wells properly with their additional funding. The claim that staff recruitment is an issue is also fallacious as this is a problem everywhere, including at Yeovil.

In order for people to receive the help they need, mental health services need more investment, not cuts. Travelling to Yeovil to access this ward, if it is relocated, will be impossible for people without a private car and family and friends will not be able to visit. Patients will find it difficult to get home for short periods as part of their recovery, leading to longer periods of time in a place with which they have no familiarity. Vulnerable people, who are already disorientated will be further confused and scared finding themselves in a strange place.

Join Save Somerset's Community Services on Facebook/email [email protected]

Write letters to: SCCG, Wynford House, Lufton Way, Yeovil. BA22 8HR; James Heappey MP, 10, Broad Street, Wells. BA5 2DN;