Shake-up for mental health services across Hampshire

HEALTH chiefs are considering closing nearly a third of hospital beds for people suffering from severe mental illness in Hampshire in a bid to save £4.5m over three years.

Bosses at Southern Health NHS Foundation propose to shut 50 out of 165 acute beds and treat more people in their own homes, including those with severe depression or psychotic illnesses.

The shake-up would affect services across the county including Southampton but excluding Portsmouth. The proposals will go out for a six-week public consultation, starting in September.

In a report presented to Hampshire County Council’s health watchdogs, the trust said about £1.5m of the savings would be ploughed into strengthening “hospital at home” treatment, including intensive day support and back-up for carers.

The rest would contribute to cost-cutting at the trust which is required to find four per cent efficiency savings.

Under the proposals, the trust will provide acute inpatient beds at either Melbury Lodge in Winchester or Woodhaven in Calmore, but no longer both units.

Trust bosses say they hope an alternative mental health NHS use will be found for the beds they no longer want.

In Southampton, it is proposed to change the use of 10-bed Antelope House, a new purpose-built acute inpatient unit, to treat the mentally ill with “challenging behaviour.”

This means 16-bed Abbotts Lodge in Netley will no longer be needed, say managers. Six beds will be moved to Hollybank unit in Havant.

In the New Forest, the trust proposes to end its lease of Copper Beeches in 2011-12 which is used for rehabilitation and teaching life skills.

The trust says the development of community alternatives will reduce the need for this project. No changes are proposed for Parklands Hospital in Basingstoke although community services will be improved.

Dr Lesley Stephens, clinical director at Southern Health NHS Foundation, said the changes were not just about saving money.

Other reasons include changing the culture of mental health care away from traditional institutional bed-based care to strengthened community services.

Speaking at the health overview and scrutiny committee last Tuesday (July 26) the consultant psychiatrist said: “Social isolation, housing and financial problems can be more disabling than hearing voices.”

The proposed new model of care includes referral of patients to a single point of contact day or night and initial assessment by senior clinicians so people “get the right help at the right time.”

Dr Stephens said: “I know there are always going to be people who are too risky or distressed to be managed at home. I also know there are people sitting in acute hospital units who are not too risky or distressed.”

When people are admitted to hospital their social support networks can quickly fragment, she said. “What we should be doing is putting in support so their carer can cope in stressful situations at home more effectively.”

Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation was formed by a merger of Hampshire Community Health Care and Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation.