IT has become quite noticeable that when a facility has been tentatively earmarked to be closed of demolished, it is systematically allowed to fall into such disrepair as to make it far too expensive for repair to be viable.

Maintenance is kept to a minimum and essential work seems to be ignored and this leads to the uprooting of vulnerable people, job losses and eventually demolition or closure of the facility.

There is no need to list these places; people know which ones are affected.

Shouldn't councils, government and owners have a legal duty of care for these buildings with their maintenance being paramount?

This latest closure in our area - Bootham Park Hospital - is a scandalous disgrace and someone should be made accountable, and just what are the plans for that beautiful parkland and old building?

Janet S Kitchen-Cooper, Ashley Park Road, York

 

I HAVE 12 comments to make regarding the problems at Bootham Park Hospital:

1 Insufficient washing and toilet facilities.

2 Building unfit for purpose/some rooms are blocked off and patients can be locked in.

3 Old fashioned system of following people around every ten minutes when they go in and then 15 minutes, which is restrictive and irritating to the patient.

4 This system stems from one of the old criminally insane units in Britain, Rampton Hospital. However, Bootham does not have any patients in that category. Most people have just had nervous breakdowns and need a rest.

5 Some staff have worked there too long and have become affected by care of mentally ill patients, namely some who have worked between 20 and 30 years.

6 There are no quiet rooms and there is limited space available to sit in.

7 No air and the heating is too hot most of the time.

8 The nursing care is excellent, although there are limited facilities.

9 Rehabilitation facilities are not adequate, ie they can only provide yoga classes, circuit training in the gym, which is not large enough.

10 There is creative writing, but most people can do that anyway.

11 Psychiatrists do not see you straight away. You sometimes wait for a month after being admitted until seen, probably because they have such a high case load.

12 On the positive side, I am writing a novel to provide extra finance which is badly needed.

Name and address supplied