Local MP visits CAMHS unit site in Armley

Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves adds a message to the steel frame of the new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services unit.

28 July 2020

This afternoon, representatives from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) and Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) welcomed Rachel Reeves, Member of Parliament for Leeds West,  to the construction site of the new West Yorkshire CAMHS unit, in Armley.

The local MP paid a visit to the site to see how construction was progressing, and to add a message to the steel frame, which will sit alongside those left by NHS leaders, CAMHS frontline staff, a service user and local councillor Lou Cunningham.  Although the names and messages will eventually be hidden, they symbolise the shared ambition for delivering the best possible health care for the young people of West Yorkshire when the Unit opens in September 2021.

Joining her on the visit were NHS leaders Bryan Machin, Executive Director of Finance and Resources (LCH), and David Furness, Head of Estates and Capital Development (LYPFT) along with representatives from the construction company, Interserve.

Ms Reeves said: “It is vital that we prioritise further investment in our mental health services, especially given the increased strain they will experience in the unprecedented circumstances of Covid-19.

Supporting young people’s mental health, particularly through prevention and early intervention, is absolutely crucial. On average, one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime, and half of adult mental health illnesses develop before the age of 14. 

The addition of the new mental health unit at St Mary’s Hospital is therefore very welcome, and I am looking forward to its completion next year.”

Watch the video below for a sneak peek of how the site might look when it opens in September 2021, produced by architects Gilling Dod.