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Unanimous plea to save Avondale
Politicians have called for regulators to step in and review the decision-making process which led to the planned closure of a Preston mental health unit.
A series of impassioned pleas from Preston councillors ended with a unanimous vote in favour of supporting the campaign to save the Avondale Unit, based at the Royal Preston Hospital.
They will now write to Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts, to ask them to examine the decision-making process.
And they will also send a letter to the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust to ask for a review of the provision of the service as its main commissioner.
Councillors called for “no closure of the Avondale Unit until a suitable, locally-placed replacement is provided” and said they would work with existing campaigns for the retention of the unit, run by the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.
There has been public outcry since the closure of the unit was revealed in the Lancashire Evening Post and thousands of people have signed petitions and spoken of the critical need for the facility.
Without it, patients would have to travel to the next-nearest beds which could be Chorley or Blackpool.
Labour councillor Martyn Rawlinson submitted a notice of motion to the council, sparking a lengthy Town Hall debate, and described the move as “utter cruelty”.
He said: “What they’re seeking to do is centralise services. You can understand them doing it with admin but this issue is just far too sensitive. The impact on people’s lives is enormous.”
Councillors asked Lorraine Norris, the council’s chief executive, to write to Heather Tierney-Moore, chief executive of the Trust, to ask for reassurance that plans for the purpose-built unit proposed for Ribbleton Hospital are not threatened by further budget cuts.
There were also concerns about homeless people who currently work jointly with the council’s housing advisory service and mental health services.
Coun Neil Cartwright (Con), cabinet member for development and community safety, said: “We have a responsibility to some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“Our (housing) staff go into the Avondale Unit on a daily basis. Without this, many would find themselves sleeping rough.”
Retired mental health nurse Coun John Browne (Lab) said he feared it would lead to a rise in suicides and people attempting to kill themselves.
And Coun John Bruton (Lib Dem) said: “People in Preston are being put at great disadvantage by this proposed closure.
“It’s ridiculous a centre the population of Preston doesn’t have this service available to it.”
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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Comments
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keithmiddlehurst
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 09:37 PMI had to attend the Avondale Unit for years, and received no compenation. I am a Paraniod Schizophrenic. I was involved in two bombs, and to be honest the stories about my involvement originate from my child hood. I was in the school yard, at Ormskirk Junior school, and the stories started through my Mother. I would become involved in bombs, she said. My mother was an assistant cook at the school, this was in about 1963. This was the first I heard about my future involvement. Years later, I was a hostage at the Fishergate Baptist Bomb, and again at the Warrington Bomb, but I never got any compensation, effectively the bombs became organized by the rich public sector worker at British Aerospace and the Education system. The bombers are intermarried to my Fathers family. There is now a Family fued. Apparently, I said some upsetting words to my Uncle Jack in a Public House, and my family placed a ban on me. At British Aerospace, I was placed on the sick because I was quite literally picked upon. You see, I was an Improver. I have to write Public Sector salaries should be cut down to size, the Doctors can work for less money, to permit the services to run, after all those degrees are a fix in my experience. The man that did the bomb, said to me, the Tories asked for it, so we are going to give it to them. Actually, British Aerospace organized it, and they wanted it to effectively ensure training, and high public sector bill running into their pocket. I was attacked, so I had to leave the company. The Avondale Unit told me I was ill. So now I take my turn to say, these over paid public sector wallies should go. Let them go overseas to look for work. I wrote to the Tories, they could place Universities on the Internet, one National University, one cheap effective powerful education system for all. Instead we have a Public Sector Service making a nuisance of itself on the backs of the British people. I remain under the threat of Death. Before leaving British Aerospace one senior supervisor beind closed said, I would be killed if I spoke. So is this what the Afghanistan war is about, the freedom to kill! Look, I object to being taken on bombs through my employment, and told I that I am mad. I think, I should be paid money in compensation. Thank you. Preston stinks.
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