A BIPOLAR disorder sufferer is calling for a new service where people with mental health difficulties can support and counsel each other.

Iffley resident Alice Hicks was diagnosed with the condition in 1983 after being hospitalised.

Bipolar disorder involves suffering severe depression and manic episodes, which can result in psychosis and hospitalisation.

Now the 72-year-old wants to put her decades of experience living with a mental illness and dealing with the health service to good use.

She has proposed that patients need a centre run by sufferers, for sufferers, where people can have “a collective voice” and speak openly about what care they receive, and how it could be improved.

Today ((22/06)) she has gone public with a plea to create an independent body with a permanent base where mental health patients can come and share their stories frankly.

She has asked for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in the county, and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which commissions services for mental health, to consider funding the project.

Mrs Hicks, who is working as a researcher for patient watchdog Healthwatch Oxfordshire, said that the “patient forums” provided by Oxford Health are not effective.

The mother-of-two said: “I have gone out to wards and spoken to patients who are receiving care.

“When I have told them that I have been treated in the same ward, they open up and confide in you a lot more.

“Patients are less likely to be critical of the care they are receiving if they’re speaking to staff.

“But if we have a truly independent group run by sufferers for sufferers we’re more likely to get to the truth of what people really think.”

Mrs Hicks said that it took her years to recover from bipolar disorder and without the love and care of her family she might not be here today.

She has said that similar groups in other counties have provided personal support to sufferers in their time of need.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire chief executive Rachel Coney said: “She is asking the authorities to take a new approach to enabling people being helped by mental health services to contribute the development of local services.

“With the support of Healthwatch Oxfordshire and local mental health charity Restore, she has produced a report which concludes that Oxfordshire is failing in its responsibility to involve those using the mental health service effectively in decisions about local services.”

Mrs Hicks added: “Patients need to be involved in their care and that just isn’t happening. Sufferers voices need to be heard as that is the only way that the health service is going to improve.”