Health Services (Gloucestershire)

If someone has mental health or learning difficulties, or a long-term condition such as diabetes, or is recovering from heart treatment, it is clear from ““Our health, our care, our say”” that there is an appetite for services closer to home, for those provided in non-traditional ways and for some creativity in establishing partnerships to provide services—with the voluntary sector, local authorities and other groups. That also applies to prevention services. In several parts of the country, we are pioneering health trainers—a role that can take a variety of forms. They could be people from the community who will act as ambassadors. They may have suffered from a specific condition, or had, for example, a heart attack, and are therefore well placed to talk to others in that position about what they can do and what support exists to keep them healthy. Similarly, others could act as supporters and buddies. The opportunity exists not only for employed personnel to fill that role, but for others who simply want to give something back to their community. I shall raise the issue that my hon. Friend mentioned with the Minister of State, Department of Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton), because she leads on mental health services. It is fair to say that for too long, insufficient thought has been given to integrating services for those with mental health problems with those of other providers in the community. The tendency has been to provide stand-alone services in a mental health service context. When I consider my constituency, my leisure centres and community organisations and groups, there is the challenge of whether those services meet the needs of different vulnerable groups in our community. That is important for people’s general well-being. Treatment, and how we can provide the best treatment for the range of mental health problems, is another matter. Again, that must be decided locally. However, I shall get my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central to follow up some of the points that my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) made this evening.