CAVENDISH HOSPITAL: Closing wards would be '˜detrimental'

The Buxton Dementia Action Alliance (BDAA) has spoken out over the fears it has should the mental health ward close at Buxton.

Chairman of the group, Carole Rogers, said: “The Better Care Closer to Home consultation is proposing to marginalise already-vulnerable people by taking them from their local community and moving them to somewhere alien, 24 miles away where not even the view from the window is familiar.

“At no point does removing vital facilities and services make any sense, especially when they are gold standard as is the case with the Spencer and Fenton Wards.”

GP chief thinks changes to hospital will be good for patients

If proposals go ahead Cavendish Hospital could lose its ten specialist mental health beds as care would be provided through a Dementia Rapid Response Team and admissions would be made at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield.

Eight community beds on Fenton Ward would become specialist rehabilitation beds and across the county there would be 44 Beds With Care in nursing or residential homes to replace the other eight.

Hundreds turn up at Pavilion Gardens health meeting

Figures from the Alzheimer’s Society show that in 2015 there were 60,000 people in the East Midlands living with dementia.

In the most recent report 70 per cent of GPs cited lack of accessible local services as the main barrier to support.

Carole said: “To rely solely on these services is quite simply wrong-headed and could well prove to be detrimental to the well-being and quality of life of a person with dementia and their families and carers.

“Suddenly those statistics would increase dramatically.”

Sign the petition to save the hospital

Carole, originally from Sussex, was a carer for her mum who has dementia and so she knows how important all supportive services are.

The BDAA, which started in October 2015, aims to encourage and support communities and organisations to take practical action to enable people and their carers to live well with dementia.

Carole has asked everyone to have their say about the consultation by completing the feedback.

Your view on the possible hospital closure

She added: “Even if you don’t believe you currently have a need for the services, many people in the High Peak do and some of those people could well be your neighbours.

“Without your voice being heard this vital resource in our community could be lost forever.”

The consulatation will run until October 5 to have your say click here