Two Medway MPs have called for an urgent meeting to retain Therapeutic House mental health centre.

Rehman Chishti MP and Kelly Tolhurst MP have written to Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) asking to hold further discussions about their planned closure of the centre in Park Avenue, Gillingham.

Therapeutic House has been providing intensive treatment for those with Personality Disorders, many of whom say their recovery has been dependent on its services.

Without the centre they warn hospitals will be overburdened with an influx of mental health patients.

It has been described as "ground-breaking in its approach" by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), but Medway CCG has taken the decision not to continue funding the service, and it is due to close its doors by the end of the year.

In a letter to Dr Peter Green, the Chief Clinical Officer of Medway CCG, the two MPs call upon them to work with KMPT to find a solution. In the letter, they say "our constituents have raised concerns about the closure of the service and the implications it will have for their care."

MP for Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti has raised the proposed closure with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which works to improve the lives of people with mental health problems.

He said: "Therapeutic House has provided an innovative service in Medway, helping to rebuild peoples’ lives. I would like the CCG and KMPT to sit down again and reconsider this decision to close such a vital community service."

Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst added: "Many of my constituents have raised this closure with me. They are devastated that such a decision has been made, when there is a clear local demand for this service."

Dr Peter Green has since responded with a statement, saying: “We have worked with the provider, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) to help ensure that the twenty people currently using this service are able to continue to access relevant support. This includes community outreach that is designed to meet the needs of people with personality disorders and supports their everyday wellbeing to help prevent crisis.”

He said a number of services were already available to people with personality disorders, and each patient should have a care coordinator and care plan in place to support them.

Under the new changes, two of the Mental Health Nurses from Therapeutic House would be joining the Medway Community Mental Health Team - which organises care programmes for patients, he said.

He added: “Peer support can be accessed from an organisation called MEGAN for those that find group support helpful. In addition to this, Wellbeing Cafés are on offer during on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons at the Sunlight Centre, Gillingham.

“The CCG is working proactively as part of the Mental Health Crisis Concordat which aims to ensure that there are clear crisis pathways in place to support people with Mental Health conditions.

"As part of our close work with partners, we will be reviewing the care plans for patients known to frequently attend A&E, making sure that there are appropriate services and that trained staff are in place in the Police and Ambulance control rooms to give advice.

"The clinical group has agreed to prioritise patients with personality disorders as the first group they work with and so far, 15 patients have been identified for care plan reviews."

The Commissioning Group says it has invested an additional £890,000 into mental health services this year.