Pledge to families on care shake-up (From York Press)

Pledge to families on care shake-up at Mill Lodge, in Huntington

8:23am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News By Richard Catton, Health reporter

ELDERLY patients at a specialist mental health unit in York will not go without care once it closes, its owners have assured families.

Mill Lodge, in Huntington , one of four units owned and run by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, is set to be vacated under plans to set up a “care home team” with a focus on caring for patients in their homes, rather than as in-patients. The Press reported last week how the trust had presented the plans to City of York Council ’s Health scrutiny committee and had been told the matter should be subjected to a two-month public consultation to ensure patients did not suffer during the shake-up.

A spokesman for the trust said Leeds and York Partnership wanted to help patients and their families by introducing the care home team and that it would ensure “people are admitted to hospital only when this is the best option for them”.

The spokesman said: “This service development will mean that we require fewer inpatient beds, and we are now entering into a two-month consultation period with a view to vacating the unit at Mill Lodge.

“This will include working in conjunction with local partner organisations to develop individual care packages for any current service users who need longer term care and support. These care packages will be tailored to their individual needs.

“Following this service development, anyone requiring admission to an NHS mental health in-patient unit will be treated in the most appropriate of our other facilities for older people, at Meadowfields, Peppermill Court, Worsley Court or Bootham Park.”

The partnership hopes the changes will reduce delayed discharges, or so-called “bed blocking”, where patients are left waiting to transfer from hospital care, such as that provided at Mill Lodge, to community or residential care.