RESIDENTS are being asked to give their views on plans to develop a new Mental Health Trust.

During the next several weeks, public meetings will take place across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

The new trust would provide mental health services for people living in these areas.

It would bring together under one management, community and hospital-based mental health services, currently provided by Newcastle City Health NHS Trust and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust.

These trusts also provide a range of regional specialist services, which are used by people living in Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham.

Some of these specialist services are recognised nationally and are used by people living in other parts of the country.

All of the services to be managed by the new trust would continue to be provided, as they are now, in a wide range of settings, as close to home as possible.

The focus would be very much on providing services that meet local needs, but, at the same time, benefit from being part of a larger organisation.

Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Authority chief executive, David Flory, said: "We would encourage people to take the opportunity of attending the public meetings to find out more about the proposal.

"Bringing together the mental health services would give us new ways of addressing the needs of service users and those who care for them. "