There was another meeting yesterday that Nicholas Carding from the EDP WAS ALLOWED TO ATTEND BUT NO SERVICE USERS OR STAFF OF THE EXISTING LINE!!! It was confirmed that the line has been saved to become part of the existing Wellbeing helpline Run by Mind. The CCGs have agreed to put extra funding into the line but are still having MEETINGS HOW IT WILL BE RUN ALONG SIDE THE WELBEING LINE. DETAILS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED AS TO HOW THE LINE WILL WORK AND THE HOURS THAT IT WILL OPERATE. THE MANAGER, JASON MOORES, AND EXISTING STAFF OF MIND HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN INFORMED OF THE DETAILS OR EVEN IF THEIR JOBS ARE SAFE. I THINK THAT SAYS IT ALL!!! OUR FIGHT IS NOT OVER YET - IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A HOLLOW VICTORY - THE NSFT & CCGs NEED TO BE MADE TO REALISE THAT WE WILL NOT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN THE HOURS THAT THE LINE RUNS AT THE MOMENT, WITH THE SAME HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF & MANAGEMENT . OUR NEEDS ARE FAR GREATER & MORE SERIOUS THAN THOSE OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE WELBEING LINE. OUR MENTAL ILLNESS IS FAR MORE COMPLEX & DANGEROUS, A SILENT ILLNESS & KILLER. THE ORIGINAL SERVICE WE HAD WAS A 24/7 LINE THAT PROVED TO BE EXTREEMLY SUCESSFUL & SAVED MANY LIVES, CUT ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON GPs, A & E, 999 SERVICES, PLUS THE EXTRA COSTS OF THESE SERVICES FOR VERY LITTLE EXPENDITURE. IN THEIR WISDOM THE NSFT & CCGs TRIED TO STOP THE LINE SIX MONTHS AGO BUT HAD TO BACK DOWN AND REFUND IT WITH IT RUNNING 2pm until midnight Monday to Thursday & 2pm Friday though to midnight on Sunday. NO DETAILS WILL BE RELEASED UNTIL AFTER EASTER?? This really beggars belief, it will only then be 3 days until the existing line closes. IT IS TO BE HOPED FOR ALL OUR SAKES THAT THE LINE WILL BE, AT LEAST, OPEN FOR THE SAME HOURS IT IS NOW AND THAT IT IS MANNED BY THE SAME HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF AS IT IS NOW. IN AN IDEAL WORLD IT WOULD BE A 24/7 Line as it was originally. I am sure the CCGs have no idea the pressure and stress of all this is putting on seriously ill Service Users who really just want to know the number to ring and the hours that it will be available to them. Please don't just tell us to ring the crisis line or dial 999 in the interim!!! I TRIED RINGING THE CRISIS LINE NUMBER TWICE ON SUNDAY MORNING WHEN THE HELPLINE HAD AN IT FAULT. THE PHONE RANG AND RANG, NO ONE ANSWERED AND THERE WAS NO FACILITY FOR IT TO TAKE A MESSAGE FOR THEM TO CALL YOU BACK!? I certainly didn't want to ring 999, luckily the IT fault was fixed fairly quickly and I was able to speak to a member of the helpline. There should have been no need for the fight once again to save the essential service that this helpline has proved is really needed, let alone the staff and service users being left in limbo until the CCGs have had their meetings to decide the wherewithal, left until the very last minute. HEATHER