Hospitals closures - staff and patients left 'high and dry' 25/09/03

Patients and staff have been left 'high and dry'

There was heavy criticism of the closure of Canning Crescent and the Kate Marsden day hospitals at Tuesday's meeting of the Haringey Council Social Services' Panel. The two mental health day hospitals were closed at the end of August after a decision was made in May. But comment from users and staff was not sought until June, when notices of closure were sent out. Officials admitted that the consultation process had been inadequate, and apologised for it.

William MacDougall, Deputy Chairman of Tottenham Conservatives and a former councillor, said: "The whole matter has been dealt with far too quickly and without proper planning. It has left some serious gaps which has left the patients and staff high and dry. Crisis teams are intended to replace part of the service, but they have not been fully set up. A 'structured centre' is intended to replace part of the service as well, but it has only twelve places available, compared with over 80 patients who have been affected. Third, officials admitted that the last full evaluation of day services was made five years ago, and that astonishingly the data had been lost; at a minimum a new evaluation should have been done before closure."

ENDS.

Notes: Two Councillors excused themselves from the discussion:

1 - Labour Councillor Reg Rice because he is a member of the local NHS trust.

2 - Lib-Dem Councillor Ron Aitken because he is a patient of the Canning Crescent Mental Hospital.