Nottinghamshire

Don’t close our mental health unit

Photo Bob Severn

Photo Bob Severn   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Chris Jackson

100 people came to the second public consultation on the threatened closure of Broomhill Mental Health rehabilitation unit in Nottinghamshire. Carers, service users and local people made knowledgeable, moving contributions.

Carers explained that Broomhill was a vital bridge between acute wards and community living. One person said she had just been with her son who had written a suicide note because of his distress about the threatened closure.

The Trust panel repeated their mantra that people want to be at home and could get care in the community as effective as Broomhill services. They even claimed that closing two out of six acute wards in Nottingham had had no detrimental effect on mental health provision!

Gary Freeman, a member of the Unison union’s Health Service Group Executive, pointed out this cut would not be the last. When Cathy Meadows, a TUSC parliamentary candidate in May’s election, called on the Trust to back the anti-closure campaign and demand adequate central government funding she got widespread support.

The Friends of Broomhill campaign now plan to approach the Scrutiny Committee, report to the consultation, and call for a protest against the closure.