02.12.16
NHS England set to close last long-stay learning disability hospital
Calderstones, the last long-stay hospital for people with learning disabilities and autism in England, is set to close, it was announced yesterday.
As part of a consultation launched by NHS England, people are being consulted on proposals to close the Mersey Care Whalley site formerly called Calderstones hospital. This had been recommended in Sir Stephen Bubb’s 2014 report into the scandal at Winterbourne View, where patients were found to be routinely abused and mistreated.
In the past, Monitor imposed management changes at Calderstones Partnership NHS FT after it intervened following reports that a patient had been abused at the trust. Mersey Care NHS FT now operates services at the site, following a merger which was completed in July this year.
As well as the closure, the consultation plans to reduce the number of low secure beds in the north west, while transferring medium secure patients to the new £60m hospital being developed at Maghull.
The report says that the changes would help deliver the ‘Building the right support’ framework, published in 2015, which stresses that people with learning disabilities should be supported to live in the community and allowed choice and control in their care.
Lesley Patel, NHS England’s regional director of nursing for specialised services in the north, said: “People in the north west who have a learning disability or autism deserve services which empower them to lead more independent lives, in the communities they know and feel part of, and have greater say about the support they receive to do that.
“These proposals represent a shared vision on how we can deliver integrated, modern and excellent services for those with the most complex needs over the next three years.”
However, there is also a financial incentive for the proposed service changes at Calderstones. The report notes that closing the site will generate £10.7m savings over the next four years, helping to eliminate the projected £6.4m deficit.
In the draft NHS Improvement ranking of NHS providers’ support needs, Mersey Care is in segment 2, meaning that there are some concerns about its finances or the quality of its care.
The consultation also proposes an alternate model, which would see a small number of low secure beds in operation at Calderstones. This is not the preferred option because of the geographical isolation of the setting, although it would lead to lower transitional and redundancy costs.
Closing the site will cost £15.5m in transitional costs, which local commissioners have agreed to provide in principle, and lead to redundancy costs worth a maximum of £9.3m.
It is expected that over the next four years, 46 low secure and 18 medium secure patients will be discharged into the community.
Jane Cummings, chief nursing officer for England, said: “These proposals put the north west region at the forefront of key changes that are being implemented across the country. Improving care for this group of people is a national priority and these proposals represent a major step forward in securing real improvements to people’s lives.”
Last year, the National Audit Office found that the government is failing to keep its promise to move people with learning disabilities into community care. Sir Stephen Bubb recently recommended establishing a learning disabilities commissioner to safeguard the rights of patients.
The Calderstones consultation runs until 23 February. To take part, click here.
(Image c. NHS England)
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.