THE mother of a severely mentally ill man has spoken of her devastation after learning that Oxfordshire’s mental health services face cuts of £5.3m.

Pensioner Pat Ross, from Headington, has supported her 47-year-old son since he was diagnosed with schizophrenia almost 30 years ago.

But he has been able to live independently in Oxford for the past 10 years thanks to an outreach programme run by Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust.

The assertive outreach team – along with the trust’s early intervention service, which provides specialist support to people experiencing psychotic symptoms for the first time – is being combined with other services.

Forty seven people face losing their jobs.

Mrs Ross said she was anxious for her son’s future – and urged the trust not to scrap the outreach team, a member of which visits her son every week.

Mrs Ross, 70, said: “The system works as it is, please don’t change it.

“This fills me with absolute despair and extreme anxiety.

“Over the years we’ve campaigned so much for services, for users and carers, and the idea that things are just going to be cut is absolutely devastating.”

Last night the OBMH said the work carried out by the two services would be taken on by existing community health teams.

Spokesman Christian Mayr said: “We are not planning to stop providing an early intervention or assertive outreach service but to bring those functions into our general community mental health activity to ensure better collaboration about service users’ care.”

Documents leaked to the Oxford Mail show the trust needs to make savings of £5.3m over the next four years.

To achieve this, bosses have outlined plans to cut home visits and increase the number of less-qualified staff, to free up mental health experts.

The trust also intends to save up to £1.8m a year by closing some of its 12 satellite offices spread across the county.

Workers from the trust have also contacted the Oxford Mail to express their concern.

One man, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, said: “Among staff there is real concern about the threat to the quality of the service and the increased risks for patients and others. About 200 staff have been told that their jobs are at risk and that they may have to reapply for their jobs in competitive interviews.

“In this situation it has been difficult for staff to comment publicly about their concerns.

“These cuts have massive implications for the services we provide for people with mental health problems around the county.

“They may involve real extra risks to some of the most vulnerable and unwell in our communities.”

He added: “It is essential that there is a full, formal public consultation on the plans.”

Unite regional officer Debbie Watson added: “This will have a devastating effect on services for adults and older people in Oxfordshire.

“Our members work at keeping people out of hospital, and helping them to stay well.

“Cutting services will damage patient care and people will fall through the net.”

Mr Mayr said the trust was undertaking formal consultation with staff about possible changes to the way it used its resources to provide community mental health services.

He said: “Our aim is to deliver efficiencies by being more productive, focusing highly skilled staff on activities which need their expertise and using our land and buildings more efficiently.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk