West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has today called for more the NHS Trust to offer more mental healthcare beds for young people and adults. The MP has written to NHS Health and Care Trust chief executive Sarah Dugan in response to a review of services being carried out by the trust. The Trust has confirmed that it is looking at the number of beds available for local patients but Harriett has urged the Trust to work towards increasing the availability of beds for young people and adults needing inpatient care. Harriett commented: “As a Government we are committed to improving mental health services and we have already legislated for parity of esteem between physical and mental health conditions and Ministers are going further to support children and young people who suffer mental health problems. “Only last month I spoke to a group of young people who were concerned about the local mental healthcare provision and the lack of beds available for those who need urgent help in the county. “From my own casework, I know that some of these patients have to be transported hundreds of miles away to get access to a bed and I would urge the Trust to look at this situation and make sure that we don’t further reduce the access to beds. “The Hadley Unit at Worcestershire Royal is an impressive unit and we have a number of good private care facilities for people with acute psychiatric conditions. The message must be that we need more, not fewer, beds in the county to help the most vulnerable in our society.”