Carlisle: Opportunities and Challenges was commissioned by Cumbria Community Foundation to examine the area’s social needs and community issues.
The report shines a light on some of the issues yet to be addressed including mental health, physical health, poverty and the strain on the charity sector.
The report also says that the Cumberland Council area currently has high rates of self-harm, addiction and suicide, with drug-related deaths and suicides ‘substantially higher’ than England averages.
The report also claims that public sector partners, and voluntary and community groups are working tirelessly to address the demand, including addressing the underlying causes of mental health concerns, but they have reported being ‘overburdened’ by the volume of people seeking assistance.
“I think there is a mental health crisis in Carlisle,” said a health sector representative in the report.
“Anyone who was poorly before the Covid-19 pandemic is now very poorly.
“Anyone who was on the cusp of being poorly has now tipped over.
“Anyone who didn’t know they were poorly or had suspicions they were poorly have lost all their coping mechanisms.
“A lot of people were just expecting things to open up or go back to how they were.
“But it has never happened, and it isn’t going to. Now we have people who are just waiting and waiting and waiting for help without the resilience, support or resources they need to move forward.”
The Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear trust runs local NHS mental health practices and their associate director for access and community services, David Storm said it is ‘vital’ to work with communities to support people’s wellbeing.
“We have seen a rise in people of all ages seeking help for their mental health in Cumbria,” said David.
“We believe it is vital to work with local communities to support people’s wellbeing and change the conversation around mental health.
“Last year, we started a programme of work called ‘community transformation’, with the aim of spotting problems and helping people access mental health and wellbeing support at a much earlier stage.
“This includes improving how our Crisis and Community teams work together and addressing longer waiting lists.
READ MORE: ‘Serious issues’ in Carlisle but ‘bright future ahead’ says report | News and Star
“We are also exploring new ways to bring different support together seamlessly around each person’s individual needs.
“We are part of the Hope Haven project in Whitehaven, which is bringing together several health, care and community organisations to give people personalised, one-on-one support without needing to be ‘referred’, ‘discharged’, or go on a waiting list.
“We hope to be able to replicate this way of working in Carlisle and other areas across Cumbria soon.”