Extra free support for anyone struggling over Christmas

Those requiring out-of-hours support can attend the Emergency Department where they will be assessed before being seen by a mental health professional who will listen and help find support for the future.

‘Our thinking here is particularly around people who might need some extra help but who wouldn’t necessarily meet the clinical threshold for more acute services and who would benefit from out of hours support,’ said Health & Social Care president Al Brouard.

It was proposed in the Government Work Plan that a pilot mental health centre would be introduced to support the mental health of islanders.

‘While these arrangements are not yet in place, we know that Christmas can be a difficult time of the year for some islanders’ mental wellbeing, and we wanted to increase our capacity over the festive period to help those who might be in need of additional wellbeing support.

‘While this pilot of a pilot won’t initially go as far as we intended, the committee will build upon this further, and discussions surrounding a partnership approach with the third sector to provide out of hours drop-in crisis support also continue in parallel,’ said Deputy Brouard.

The new scheme will not be replacing any existing mental health service, but should be used in addition to other support services. Those who need support from specialist secondary care mental health services should seek a referral through their doctor.

Fiona Robertson, associate director for mental health and adult disability, urged anyone struggling with their mental health in the coming weeks to make use of the free service.

‘We are always examining ways we can improve and broaden the support we offer the community. We don’t want individuals experiencing unnecessary stress or distress. All of the professionals who work in mental health do so because they truly care about people and want to help,’ she said.

In December last year there were 10,275 prescriptions issued for anti-depressants, higher than any other month in 2020.

HSC vice-president Tina Bury said she recognised the importance of responding to calls from the community to improve the mental health services available in the island.

‘Even though it’s a small first step, we hope that this new temporary service will help people who are going through a difficult period. Isolation and loneliness can be heightened at this time of year, so we hope that this accessible way of speaking to a mental health professional could really help anyone experiencing that,’ she said.

. The scheme will be available from 20 December until 2 January and individuals will be seen at the Oberlands Centre. Drop-in hours at the Emergency Department will be 6-10pm.