West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed a pilot which aims to improve mental healthcare across the county.

The new community-based project will allow better support for people with complex mental health challenges outside of a formal hospital setting.

The pilot will initially focus on delivering support in selected rural villages directly linked to local GP surgeries. It forms part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme and will inform changes to national healthcare strategy.

The new project aims to speed up the delivery of services, reduce waiting times and allow patients to re-access services swiftly when required.

The Government has also announced a £4 million pilot to encourage people to exercise more. The scheme, will run for two years, and will see patients in four English locations encouraged to join cycling or walking groups, take outdoor exercise classes, join tree planting projects or take up gardening.

Harriett commented: “I welcome this pilot which will help to speed up patient care nationally for people of all ages with complex mental healthcare needs.

“One of the bigger concerns in my postbag is the time it takes to access support and I have worked closely with the Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Service and Worcestershire Health and Care Trust to understand what is needed to fix this issue. The Trust is recruiting more people to work in this area.

“Tackling poor mental health in the UK is a priority and Ministers have legislated to ensure it is treated with the same importance as physical health. Mental health services will receive an additional £2 billion per year including measures to help people as we deal with the coronavirus global pandemic.

“I look forward to seeing how this pilot works and plan to keep in close contact w