Health service shake-up concerns

SIR, – I have been following with interest the coverage your newspaper has given to Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to shake–up its mental health services.

I am concerned about the impact this will have on the existing mental health service users. As Reg Pringle (Press and Journal letters, July 20) pointed out, this change will exclude service users who are assessed as not having severe mental health difficulties; so where will these people go for company and social support?

In my experience senior officials tend to grossly under-estimate the therapeutic value of informal support gained through people participating in day services.

We have also read in this week’s reports that two Aberdeenshire based organisations – Mental Health Aberdeen and Pillar Kincardine – are going to cease providing services. It is a strong possibility that the new service contracts will be awarded to large national organisations who may be in a position to offer more economical services but who are not rooted in the local communities.

Major decisions are going to be taken in Edinburgh or Manchester and such developments are not good for the health and resilience of local communities.

My experience of being a former psychiatric social worker and mental health researcher has led me to make the above comments. Rob Mackay, Strathyre, High

Street, Kemnay.