CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating the expansion of youth mental health provision in South Cumbria but have warned that the fight for a full service is not over.

Young people in crisis will now be able to access assessment and intervention services from Monday-Friday, 9am to 8pm and at weekends and bank holidays, 9am to 1pm.

Prior to the change, young people in the South Lakes could only access the specialist mental health crisis team from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, with extended hours only available in the north of the county.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron had been spearheading the campaign to extend services, raising the issue with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Parliament and handing over a 2,500-strong petition to Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group.

Becky Willoughby, a Kendal mum, was one of those backing Mr Farron's campaign after her 14-year-old daughter, Libby, needed to access the services out of hours.

"Unfortunately for my daughter Libby, last year wasn't a good year," she said. "We discovered that if your child has problems on a Saturday afternoon that you can sit for half an hour in an ambulance while you ring around everyone to try and find out where a child who is not in a good place can be taken."

It took 12 hours from her calling an ambulance for her daughter to be taken to Furness General Hospital, Barrow, only to be admitted to a general medical ward rather than one offering specialist help.

"There's not a lot you can do," Mrs Willoughby said. "You're left waiting. Your child is upset, agitated and it's just a distressing situation for everybody and it just makes it even more distressing and worrying and scary."

And although she welcomes the news that the services will be extended, she said that more needs to be done.

"It's a qualified reaction because having heard the full details, it's still only 9am to 1pm (at weekends) and that's still not really adequate," she said. "That wouldn't have suited us because we had our crisis at 7pm in the evening.

"It's a step in the right direction but we need to keep on fighting because it should be a 24/7 service."

She added that she thought more money needed to be invested in mental health services so that more staff could be provided.

Last December, the Department of Health launched a 12-week consultation, asking people for their views on a green paper setting out measures to improve mental health support for children and young people.

The green paper focuses on earlier intervention and prevention, especially in and linked to schools and colleges. Consultation closed on March 2 and the government is now analysing the feedback.

Libby, a year nine student at Settlebeck School, Sedbergh, has been utilising her experience to raise awareness around mental health services and has been an advocate for an extended service.

"It's really important to me because I struggle with my mental health quite a lot," Libby said. "I have been in hospital because of my mental health. There's not enough facilities available for all the children who need to be in hospital under special care."

Libby has been trying to raise awareness about mental health on the youth council she is a member, in school assemblies and by undertaking fundraising work for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service).

"She's just wanting to talk about it and being really active about getting it sorted. I am very proud," said Mrs Willoughby.

The change in the service has been in planning stages for some time and was initially implemented as a first phase in North Cumbria.

Lauren Dixon GP and CCG executive lead for women and children said: "This is great news and really shows the commitment of the CCG to invest in children and young people’s emotional well-being and mental health services."

Colin Reynolds, chair of South Lakeland Mind, said that the the charity welcomed the news but would also like to see more done.

"Mental health does not respect fixed hours and while we have A&E facilities available 24/7 for physical health we still do not have the equivalent for those in a mental health crisis that occurs ‘out of hours’," he said.

Mr Farron added that he would like to 'say a big thank you' to the thousands of people who had backed the campaign.

“But this is only the tip of the iceberg – there is still so much more that needs to be done to improve mental health provision and I will keep on fighting for the most vulnerable in our society," he said.