Vital Mental Health Services will close as part of Manchester’s Labour Council £90 million cuts package.

Cuts proposed by Manchester city council to mental health services have been branded as “insanity”.
Vital Mental Health Services will close as part of Manchester’s Labour Council £90 million cuts.
Recovery & Connect and Supporting People services, which support Manchester’s most vulnerable people with complex needs, are set to close with a loss of jobs.
Ironically the council say that supporting people to live independently is a priority and saves money paying for people in residential care.
They also say that by improving people’s mental health and wellbeing, there will be less need for these specific services. But the Health & Wellbeing Service is also threatened with a 60% cut.
Slashing mental health services, at a time when many other essential props to daily living relied upon by some of the most vulnerable are being snatched away, is sheer insanity. The closure of these services will leave people lonely and isolated. Many who need support paying bills and maintaining a tenancy, will face eviction and homelessness. It will put massive pressure on families and carers, mainly women, increase suicides already alarmingly high, and cost more money because of increased emergencies and crisis care.
We are demanding that Manchester city council withdraw these proposals. The council have enough money in reserve to pay for these services. This money which belongs to the people of the city should be used to prevent closures and job losses. Instead of obeying orders from a government which puts the interests of the rich before the rest of us, the Labour City Council should stand up for the people of Manchester and lead a campaign of opposition.

Keep Our NHS Public is supporting a campaign of action to pressure the council to withdraw the cuts, including joining protests outside council meetings on Weds 18th February and 6th March (both at 9am) on the Town Hall steps.

This link takes you to the location of all the reports on the website.
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/2157/executive