Issue - meetings

To consider proposals by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust to close an acute adult inpatient ward at St. Ann’s Hospital in order to allow reinvestment of resources into the Community Home Treatment Team and remaining inpatient wards.  TO FOLLOW

The committee received this report to consider proposals by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust to close an acute adult inpatient ward at St Ann’s Hospital in order to allow reinvestment of resources into the Community Home Treatment Team and remaining inpatient wards.

The committee welcomed the fact that money saved from the proposed closure of the ward would be re-invested in Mental Health, either in wards or in community services.  The Mental Health Trust stated that they were pleased to be working alongside Patients Groups to ensure that the public were engaged as with as the consultation progressed over the twelve week period.  It was noted that no date had yet been identified for closure of the ward.

The committee was of the opinion that the proposed changes constituted a ‘substantial variation’, and thus agreed to recognise them as such.  It was further noted that wide and substantial consultation would be required on the item, and residents were encouraged to feed their views into the relevant Scrutiny Reviews being chaired by Cllr Aitken and Cllr Dodds.

RESOLVED:

1.      That residents be encouraged to feed into the forthcoming scrutiny work on mental health related issues.

2.      That the proposal by the Mental Health Trust be considered to constitute a “substantial variation” to services due to:

Ø      Number of patients affected

Ø      Changes to methods of service delivery

and therefore subject to consultation under Section 7 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

3.      That the intention of the MHT to initiate a 12 week formal period of consultation, following the drafting of an appropriate  consultation document,  be noted.

4.      That the Committee give further and detailed consideration to the proposals and the making of an appropriate response to the consultation.