A TEAM of Fylde Coast therapists and nurses who kept a mental health service in operation against all the odds has been rewarded for its efforts.

The Fylde Assessment and Short-Term Intervention Team at the Woodlands Centre, St Annes, is one of only 68 NHS organisations to be awarded Beacon status -- an award for providing a fast, flexible and accessible service.

The team of three community mental health nurses, one occupational therapist and a technical instructor was threatened with closure four years ago after a review of mental health services urged staff to concentrate on the severely ill rather than temporary problems. The team leader, community mental health nurse Elaine Walker, said: "We knew that people with short-term emotional problems such as depression after a major life event due to the end of a relationship, for example, were just as much at risk of self-harm as someone with schizophrenia.

"Instinct told us that if we neglected their needs to care for people who were more severely ill it would leave a huge and very worrying gap in the service."

Elaine believes the award is a recognition for the whole Fylde community mental health team rather than just a branch of it.

"We couldn't have won it without the support of our colleagues both in health and social services, who look after people with long-term mental health problems. We work closely together and complement each other," she said.

The Woodlands can be contacted on (01253) 781158.

Pictured are from left at the rear, Imelda Hugill, Brian Rutter and Theresa MacKenzie and in front, Elaine Walker.