A CRUCIAL mental health helpline in the Borders is facing closure after funding for NHS Borders and the council was pulled.

Every evening of the year fully trained volunteers at Borderline offer support for anyone suffering from mental health issues or other forms of distress.

With support from NHS Borders and the local authority's social work department, Borderline has handled more than 90,000 calls since it went live in 1999 - an average of around 90 calls every week.

But organisers of the service have been told that funding is being withdrawn next year.

And it is unlikely the helpline will be able to survive.

A petition, which was started last week by Dr Martin Wilson, is calling for a rethink by health and council bosses.

Dr Wilson told us: "This service literally saves lives, and its closure would have a devastating impact on those who rely on this vital support.

"It offers emotional and listening support for people who are bereaved, depressed, anxious, lonely, isolated or distressed - help is just a phone call away.

"Borderline has been given six months notice that it will lose all its funding - from NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council - despite the fact that there has been no consultation regarding this decision."

Dr Wilson's online petition, which went live on Monday, had almost reached its target 500 signature target within three days.

And the potential loss of the service has also been raised by MSP Christine Grahame in the Scottish Parliament during First Minister's Questions.

She asked Nicola Sturgeon: " Does the First Minister share my concern that Borderline helpline, which supports my constituents who are experiencing mental health problems and has received 90,000 calls since began 20 years ago, has been given six months’ notice that it will lose all its funding, which comes from NHS Borders and the Tory-led Scottish Borders Council, despite independent valuations, including by SBC, considering it to be of exceptional value for money?

"The situation has been compounded by the fact that there has been no consultation.

"Does she agree that there should be a full consultation and that, at the very least, any decision on funding should be suspended until the impact of closure is assessed?"

The First Minister has now asked for health secretary Jeanne Freeman to look at providing assistance.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Services such as Borderline Helpline perform an important function and I encourage councils to undertake full consultations and ensure that they consider all the implications of such decisions.

"I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to consider the issue from the perspective of the health service, to see whether there is more that the Government can offer by way of assistance.

"I hope that the council will take seriously the issues that Christine Grahame raised."

The NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council Health and Social Care Partnership alerted Borlderline earlier this month of its plans to axe funding.

The decision comes following a review of commissioned services for the region.

A spokesperson said: "Although Borderline provides a good quality service valued by its users, as there are now alternative national help lines, such as Breathing Space and The Samaritans, as well as the local mental health crisis team, we have reached the difficult decision to end this contract with six months’ notice.

"We would also like to highlight the other early intervention and preventions services that we have recently invested in such as the local area coordination team, the Wellbeing College and the well being service.

"In addition we have also been working with primary care services to develop a comprehensive primary care mental health service which will be available directly to patients from GP practices across the Scottish Borders.

"We will be working hard to support Borderline to seek alternative sources of funding and will be working with them to develop a transition plan to ensure that callers are aware of all the other support services available including those delivered out of hours.”

Borderline continues to operate every evening between 7pm and 10pm on 0800 027 4466.