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Learning difficulties hospital to close
9:17am Monday 14th January 2008
Comments (6)A HOSPITAL for people with severe learning disabilities is set to close in a move that health bosses say will allow the inpatients to become "real citizens".
North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) is hoping to win a £1.5 million grant from the Government to help them relocate inpatients of Easingwold Long Stay Campus For People With Learning Disabilities.
The service is expected to close at the end of 2009, by which time all 15 inpatients will have been discharged into the community.
Anne Bygrave, head of learning disabilities at the PCT, said: "This is a really positive move that will enable the patients to gain more independence and become real citizens, rather than hospital in-patients who might be forgotten about.
"The Government grant will enable us to secure them tenancies in properties, so they will become tenants living in the community. They have an increase in the income that they have coming into them and we will continue to provide support workers to live and work with them."
The proposed closure of Easingwold Long Stay Campus is in line with a Government drive to review inpatient services for people with learning disabilities.
Two long-stay campuses have already been closed in the York and Selby area, at Bubwith and Tadcaster, where 22 inpatients were relocated as tenants.
Ms Bygrave said: "The Government has put a fund together to help PCTs move people out into the community.
"Every PCT is eligible to bid for the money, which will be used to buy the properties that the people will be living in as tenants.
"We will be putting in a bid for £1.5 million, and the PCT has agreed to underwrite this money and make up the difference from its capital funds if we don't get the full amount."
A PCT spokesperson said it was discussing options for the future of the Easingwold site, including a possible sale.
She said: "If the site is sold the capital receipt for the sale will be reinvested to develop future health care services for the local population."
Your Say YourYork Press
exasperated, York says...
10:31am Mon 14 Jan 08
Will the PCT also 'relocate' the existing support staff or will that be an additional cost saving. Where will these new homes be? Could the PCT have not redeveloped the site or will they be looking for somewhere a little cheaper, perhaps .
andyb, york says...
11:17am Mon 14 Jan 08
Yes, they will become real citizens along with all the people who were discharged from the big mental hospitals when they closed. They will have earned the right to aimlessly wander the streets and go to the dogs.
oli4uk, York says...
11:33am Mon 14 Jan 08
Mike C, york says...
12:18pm Mon 14 Jan 08
jk, york says...
3:03pm Mon 14 Jan 08
I find that a rather insulting.
Just another cost cutting case.
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Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
9:39am Mon 14 Jan 08
Come on Health bosses with your phone number salaries, are you seriously expecting people to believe this tripe???
As always when there are cutbacks, it's the most vulnerable in society who are worst off.
The senior management are taking a cheap holiday in other people's misery.