A SPECIALIST team which could have helped a Barrow woman who tragically took her own life was scrapped earlier this year, health bosses have revealed.

Jenna Wade died by suicide in April after struggling with mental health issues.

She had been drinking heavily in the last 12 months but an inquest on Wednesday heard Barrow does not have a Specialist Alcohol Team (SAT).

The team, which can support patients through detox, rehab and intervention, would have benefited Miss Wade, 31, her dad and staff from addiction support service Unity said.

Stacey Makin, Cumbria manager for Unity, said Furness General Hospital has one of the highest rates of alcohol-related A&E admissions in the North West.

Up until March of this year Cumbria County Council funded a SAT at Furness General Hospital but it closed at the end of the financial year amid central government funding cuts.

Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group funds a similar team in Lancaster.

A spokeswoman from Morecambe Bay CCG said: “In Morecambe Bay the responsibility for alcohol support services sits with the local authorities as commissioner and Unity as the provider.

“We recognise that the NHS can play its part in supporting people with alcohol dependency particularly when they have complex mental health and/or alcohol and drug problems, especially when they present in a health setting, such as A&E, for example we have recently commissioned a service with The Well in Barrow for people with a dual diagnosis of mental health and alcohol misuse.

“In April 2017 Morecambe Bay CCG was formed following a boundary change, which meant that Lancashire North CCG and part of Cumbria CCG became one commissioning body.

“Historically, Lancashire North CCG decided to commission a Specialist Alcohol Team with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust as there wasn’t a local authority commissioning service available in Lancaster.

“At the time, there was a Specialist Alcohol Team, via The Well, based at Furness General Hospital which up until this financial year was funded by Cumbria County Council within the Unity contract.

“We have been made aware of the loss of this service in Barrow and have been working with the local authority, partners and local community services to look at what we could commission next year to replace the service that has gone; bringing everybody’s resources together to deliver the most effective service for the greatest amount of people in Furness."

“Across Bay Health & Care Partners we have been working to try and integrate our health and social care services and work closer together; with this in mind we would be more than happy to sit down with Unity and Cumbria County Council, to further discuss the local work we are doing to make improvements.

“If you or anyone you know needs access to alcohol and/or substance support services in Barrow, CADAS (Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service) and The Well have support available. Further information can be found at www.cadas.co.uk and www.thewellcommunities.co.uk