Mental Health Home Set To Close

A mental health unit which hasn’t admitted a new long-term patient for the last five years is set to close. Health bosses say that Sion House community ward, in Ribbleton, is “no longer fit for purpose” and its six patients could be given better treatment elsewhere. Under proposals submitted by Lancashire Care NHS Trust four patients would be transferred to the Euxton Lane community ward, Chorley, while the other two would be cared for in the private sector.

Staff will be relocated to other units with the Lancashire Care Trust.

The 12-bed mixed sex unit in Sion close, which costs over £500,000 a year to run, was set up in 1992 to house and rehabilitate ex-Whittingham Hospital patients with severe and enduring mental health problems.

Six patients aged between 58 and 82-years-old have lived there since 1998.

The closure proposal is to be considered by Lancashire County Council’s Adult Social Care & Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on August 29.

A report to councillors states: “During the reorganisation of services in Preston over the last five years, it has been consistently recognised that service provision at Sion House is in need of review as the building is physically deteriorating. This establishment is currently being used to look after six patients and is not a cost effective use of scarce NHS resources.”