Concern about Closure and Relocation of Solihull's Mental Health Services

​Earlier this week, Lyndon resident Mr Tudor spoke eloquently of his concerns about the gradual closure and relocation of mental health services in Solihull, including from the Lyndon Clinic on Winchcombe Road.
Here is the full text of Mr Tudor's statement:
“As a carer for someone with Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder as well as someone with Anxiety, I am deeply concerned about the closure and relocation of Solihull's Mental Health Services.
“Solihull’s only acute psychiatric unit (Bruce Burns Unit) has closed its doors to all patients just before Christmas in 2017, with inpatient wards in the main hospital following.
“Now, 3 years later, we are losing our Duty System based at the Lyndon Resource Centre. 
“Patients requiring help will need to firstly telephone the team.  Then, providing there is a triage nurse available to take your call, you will be assessed.  If the triage nurse feels the patient would benefit in being seen, the patient will need to travel over to Marston Green.  Providing the patient has someone with transport to drive them, that would help reduce the stress a little.  If not, then it's a £7 taxi each way (from Lyndon) or a minimum of 2 buses, depending on if they live on the 72 bus route.  If there is not a triage nurse available to speak to the patient, the patient will be placed on a waiting list for a call back from a triage nurse.
“I also have been advised that the Psychiatric Liaison Service, formerly known as Rapid Assessment Interface and Discharge (RAID for short), that operates an emergency mental health service at Solihull Hospital, is to close, making the nearest centre at Heartlands Hospital.  Solihull will only have an Outpatient Department based at The Lyndon Resource Centre, which I have heard is also earmarked to move in the future.
“All of this will have detrimental effect on Silhillians.  It will also be a drain on other districts if Solihull services are lost creating a backlog of patients to squeeze in and could well be a case of discuss, diagnose and pass on.
“I call upon this Council and Cllr Grinsell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, to save the Mental Health Services in Solihull.
“We have lost many services across Solihull, let's not lose our much-needed Mental Health Services”.