Weavers Croft - submission

This is a draft of my submission re Weavers Croft. Please consider making your own submissions if you haven't already - I enclose addresses to send it to at the end. The consultation details can be found at:
http://www.partnershiptrust.org.uk/content/services/mh_consultation.htm


Consultation on Changes to Mental Health Services in Stroud

These proposals will have considerable impacts on Gloucestershire County Council, the voluntary sector, other public bodies and many vulnerable people and their family/carers. The pace of change is too fast, unrealistic and unnecessary in view of my understanding of guidelines by the Government. Our community is also being unfairly penalised for funding problems in other areas of the Strategic Health Authority.

I would like to make the following additional points:

- There is no analysis of other alternatives to the proposed cuts like alternative ownership arrangements or partnership arrangements.

- The proposals seem to be coming from the provider trust rather than the commissioning trust yet it is surely the commissioning trusts that should be consulting on the types of services they would purchase?

- The services at Weavers Croft are recognised locally as being excellent. Closure goes against key policies by failing to recognise patient choice or supporting community services.

- A move to Cheltenham will increase congestion and impact severely on the environment in terms of climate change emissions. Alternatives to travelling by private car are very limited and inadequate to meet the increased need. There also appears to be no consideration of those alternatives and what costs they might entail.

- A move will also significantly increase traveling time and distances by family and friends to visit. I know of many older carers who would not feel confident to drive outside the local Stroud area to Cheltenham. The additional distances will impact severely on family and carers

- many of whom are already stretched to breaking point by the stresses of looking after an elderly person with a mental health problem. Not only could this move lead to the possible need for additional assistance to carers but if fewer visits result that could also impact detrimentally on the elderly person receiving services. For example carers sometimes help feed or just be with the patients: such benefits to the patient of a caring known person cannot be underestimated.

- Information on financial savings is poor with little or no assessment of the impact of these proposals on other bodies or service users. Costs do not for example seem to have been calculated for withdrawing services like day care, the additional transport, restructuring and more. It is also of concern that the majority of savings seem to be being made in cuts on services to older people with mental health problems yet this group nationally already gets a proportionally smaller share of resources.

- Population increases seem to have not been considered. The over 65 year old age group for Stroud District is expected to increase over the next 20 years from the estimate for this year of 20,000 to 29,000 in 2026. This will surely lead to a significant increase in the number of people with problems like dementia?

Lastly while not an issue that is directly within the remit of this consultation I would like to note concerns re Government policies that are increasing private sector involvement in the NHS generally. Private companies involved with the NHS are reported to be making windfall profits of £3.3 billion out of Private Finance Schemes alone. This figure dwarfs the £40 million needed in Gloucestershire.

In short the case for closing Weavers Croft has not been made and I would argue strongly it should be kept open for both inpatient and day care services.

Philip Booth

Send to:

The Communications Manager
Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Rikenel, Montpellier
Gloucester GL1 1LY
servicechanges@glos.nhs.uk

Jeff James
Chief Executive
Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Rikenel, Montpellier
Gloucester GL1 1LY

Rt Hon. Patricia Hewitt, M.P.
Secretary of State for Health
Department of Health
Richmond House
79, Whitehall
London SW1A 2NS
email: hewittph@parliament.uk

Feedback can also be offered via the Trust website at www.partnershiptrust.org.uk