Our Services
Winter campaign
Despite challenging conditions during the winter period, Mersey Care’s robust resilience plan helped reduce pressure on the wider NHS system across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The highlights on the campaign, which ran from September 2024 to March 2025, included 131,270 face to face attendances across our walk-in and urgent treatment centres, with 97% of patients being seen and treated in four hours. There were also 61,780 calls to mental health crisis lines to support those in need. More information can be found on the news section of the Trust’s website.
Crisis lines upgrade benefits patients and safeguards clinicians
Mersey Care’s renowned mental health crisis help lines were upgraded with improved technology to help more patients at a quicker rate and allow clinicians to improve care with informed analytics.
Following the introduction of a telephony system with enhanced capabilities, the crisis lines can handle more calls at a quicker rate than ever before. The system’s capabilities not only measure access and waiting times, it also uses sophisticated technology to produce information to support clinicians to improve care, including live dashboards, analytics and transcription technology. More information is on the news section of the Trust’s website.
CMAGIC transforms into Transcend
Our gender dysphoria service, formerly known as CMAGIC, has been re-named, ‘Transcend’ following extensive engagement and consultation with service users, patients and stakeholders.
Run for the last four years as a pilot, Transcend is now a routinely commissioned NHS service, building on the excellent work being delivered to local communities. Transcend will continue to support transgender and non-binary individuals within Cheshire and Merseyside through a specialised service based on best practice for the local population.
The service will continue to offer a flexible range of tailored support options, including assessment for and diagnosis of gender incongruence, hormone therapy (including prescribing and monitoring), voice therapy, hair removal and psychological therapy, to help improve mental wellbeing and referrals to surgical providers. More information can be found on the Trust’s website.
Contract continues for Liaison, Diversion and Reconnect
Mersey Care has been awarded the contract to provide Liaison and Diversion and Reconnect services in Merseyside for the next five years, from April 2025, continuing to provide mental health services for those who enter the criminal justice system.
The Trust’s Liaison and Diversion and Reconnect teams will continue to offer a host of services, including identification, screening, assessment and referrals for people with mental health, learning disability, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities once they become part of the criminal justice pathway. More information can be found on the news section of the website.
Mark steps up to lead secure services
Mark Latham, formerly Deputy Director of Secure Care Services, has been appointed the Trust’s new Director for Secure Care ahead of the retirement of Steve Newton this month.
He has worked at Ashworth Hospital since 1991 and been part of the senior leadership for the last 10 years. During this time, secure services have expanded to include forensic learning disability services from our former Whalley site, mental health services previously run by North West Boroughs, secondary mental health services in HMP Liverpool and HMP Altcourse and the opening of two new hospitals on our Maghull Health Park.
IPS employment services expanding at The Life Rooms
Individual Placement Support (IPS) at The Life Rooms has successfully been awarded the contract to deliver employment support service across Liverpool, Warrington, Halton, St Helens, Knowsley and Sefton.
The Life Rooms already provided IPS services for Liverpool, Warrington and Halton and the new contract ensures the IPS team began working alongside additional community mental health teams (CMHTs) in St Helens, Knowsley and Sefton from 1 April 2025.
They will support a greater number of service users within community mental health services who have an aspiration of paid employment. IPS support people who have a mental health condition to achieve meaningful full time or part time employment. More information is available on the Life Rooms website.
Mersey Care receives solar energy funding boost
Mersey Care has been successful in a bid for £1.7 million worth of funding towards improved energy efficiency from Great British Energy, the Government and devolved administrations to deliver community clean energy projects.
Funding was secured as part of a package of £100 million announced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for NHS hospitals, to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills, offering better value for the taxpayer.
It will be used to improve Rowan View, our medium secure facility at Maghull Health Park. The installation of further solar panels and battery storage solutions are due to start next month and are expected to be completed by March 2026. Further details are available in the news section of this website.
Donna’s heading Lancashire way
Congratulations to Donna Robinson, our Acting Director of Operations and Director of Mental Health, who has been appointed Chief Operating Officer at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
As a member of the Executive Team, Donna will be responsible for leadership and delivery of the Trust's operational services, ensuring high quality care and delivery of performance standards are achieved, influencing strategy and transforming patient care.
Trish Bennett, the Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Donna is an inspirational leader, with extensive experience and unwavering commitment, as well as a vocal advocate for mental health parity. She has been a huge support to our organisation and the wider system and should be very proud of her achievements. I wish her every success for the future.”
Walton Library reopens at The Life Rooms
Walton Library has been relaunched as a public lending library after being inactive since 2020, sitting alongside health and wellbeing services delivered by The Life Rooms.
Library visitors will also be able to access a range of free services at The Life Rooms like learning sessions, social prescribing, digital support, and an affordable café. Find our more on the Life Rooms website.
The Life Rooms is also moving to a hub and spoke model, allowing them to support service users of Mersey Care’s community mental health teams in locations that are aligned to the location of clinical teams.
Working alongside CMHTs to support people’s health and wellbeing, The Life Rooms will be delivering learning sessions across community venues in Liverpool to help improve people’s knowledge, skills and confidence with their own wellbeing, and addressing practical and social issues through social prescribing. Read more about this initiative on the Life Rooms website.
Our Achievements
Recognition for our facilities management teams
Our facilities management teams have achieved higher than the national average scores for the 2024 Patient Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE), across a range of non-clinical services contributing to the health care environment.
The Trust was assessed and achieved the following scores for standards of:
- Cleanliness - scores ranged between 98.72% and 100% across all inpatient sites
- Food - scores ranged between 92.15% and 98.47%. Some areas scored 100% but improvements are needed in menu choices and MUST scores.
- Privacy, Dignity and Wellbeing - scores ranged between 89.47% and 97.65%, showing a 2% increase from 2023
- Dementia - scores ranged between 88.89% and 97.87% for applicable wards
- Disability - scores ranged between 83.21% and 94.89%.
Young Carer’s Award for Step Forward Psychology Service
Mersey Care’s Step Forward Psychology Service has become the first health care team in Liverpool to win the city’s Young Carer’s Award, set up to recognise the importance of collaborative working to identify and support young carers.
The team has been working alongside Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers and received an award that was set up to support the implementation of a template Memorandum of Understanding designed to improve joint working between adult and children's social care by the Carers Trust called ‘No Wrong Doors for Young Carers’ (NWD). More information is available on the news section of this website.
Our Research
Mersey Care and M-RIC staff and service users attend mental health technology forum
Service users and carers from Mersey Care and the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) recently attended the ‘Forum for Mental Health Technology Innovators’ at Liverpool’s iconic Royal Liver Building.
The event was organised by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre for Mental Health (MindTech) on behalf of the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mental Health Mission (MHM).
Delegates discussed how technology can shape the future of mental health care alongside members of the technology sector, NHS leaders, service users, clinicians and academics. It featured presentations from Mersey Care’s Director of Research and Innovation, Prof Dan Joyce and Senior Research Lead, Jade Thai.
Mersey Care promotes Trust research activities at NRICAM
Trust staff hosted a stand at the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Research in Cheshire and Merseyside (NRICAM) Showcase at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
The event, which brought together clinical and academic colleagues from across the region to discuss their research activities, was an opportunity to promote the new Count Me In system which aims to widen participation in research as well as the work of the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC). Read more on the M-RIC website.
Get Involved
Mersey Cares’ charity reaches £50,000 fundraising milestone
Mersey Cares’, the dedicated charity for the Trust, has reached a significant milestone with online donations now exceeding £50,000.
This incredible achievement is a testament to the dedication, generosity and community spirit of our fundraisers, who have worked tirelessly over the past year to support mental health and community services across our communities.
Those donations supported initiatives across the Trust like memory boxes for bereaved families, therapeutic dolls, murals and sensory items for the Later Life and Memory Services and items to support the Recovery Team at Peasley Cross Hospital. More information can be found on Mersey Cares’ website.
Easter Egg appeal for children in care
Fundraising continues for Mersey Cares’ who have just launched their first Easter Egg appeal to spread love and chocolatey cheer to children in care accessing our services across Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool and St Helens.
A simple chocolate egg can crack a big smile and bring joy to a child in need or facing challenging circumstances – a reminder that they’re valued and in people’s thoughts. Many of these children arrive at our services with little to no possessions due to their circumstances.
You can buy an egg for as little as £1.50 - or drop one off at one of four services across Mersey Care. More information, including how to donate, can be found on the charity’s official Easter Egg Appeal webpage.
Win Everton Football Club memorabilia in our Spring Raffle
If you’re an Everton fan - or know someone who is - we’re offering the chance to win a signed and framed print of centre back, Jarrad Branthwaite, which comes complete with a certificate of authenticity.
Tickets are £10 each with proceeds going to support mental health and community projects across Cheshire and Merseyside. You can enter via the charity’s Spring Raffle webpage.
Congratulations to our Liverpool Half Marathon runners
There are many ways of raising money for the charity, from running long distances to climbing down Liverpool Cathedral or more sedate activities like a sponsored walk – all your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Nine people completed the recent Liverpool Half Marathon in support of Mersey Cares’, including Mersey Care’s Clinical Lead for Children and Young People's services in Knowsley, Pretty Ndhlovo, who wanted to give back to the charity for the support her team received over the festive period from Secret Santa Appeal donations.
She said, "Through Mersey Cares’ we've been able to support young people who come from underprivileged communities to have something to smile about even when they’re going through emotional difficulties. The charity has provided presents and toys during the festive season and for other special celebrations.
"I’d like this support to continue as I’ve witnessed the lovely reactions and appreciation from these young people, which in turn contributes to a sense of hopefulness and future positive outcomes."
Further information about the Half Marathon fundraisers can be found on their special webpage and, if you want to get involved, there is a webpage full of information about the charity’s events portfolio and an opportunity to register.
MC Magazine
Now available online - MC Magazine spring 2025 issue.
Read real life stories:
- Eyes open – spot the warning signs of county lines drug gangs
- Diabetes – how to eat better to live well
- Count Me In – a mental health nurse explains why research is so valuable
- Mersey Cares’ – how fundraising challenges can change lives
- Flower power – why floral therapy is ‘bloomin’ marvellous’.
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