A troubled in-patient mental health unit looks set to close following a catalogue of safety concerns.
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said the proposal to close was because the building cannot be adapted to meet the latest standards for acute mental health. A Care Quality Commission inspection then found a significant deterioration in safety and quality on the ward.However, staff raised further concerns in a letter stating that although the number of patients had reduced, the patients being admitted were more seriously ill.
It added it recognised the building cannot be adapted to meet the latest care standards which include en-suite bedrooms and good lines of sight for staff throughout the ward. She said: “We have had a lot of staff concern about the move. They don’t believe it is going to make any difference to staffing levels.”Collette Kearney, a former nurse, believes the unit could have been saved if management had taken action sooner.