A MENTAL health rehabilitation unit in York could shut its doors under proposals being discussed by cash-strapped health bosses.

Red Roofs, a unit in Shipton Road, which houses people who have been referred from Bootham Park Hospital, could be closed down and patients moved elsewhere, possibly to a unit in the infirmary.

The move is currently an option being debated by chiefs at the Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) - the body which holds the purse strings for NHS

services in the area.

If implemented, it would form part of the trust's financial recovery plan to reduce spending by £23 million over the next financial year.

Penny Jones, the PCT's acting chief executive, said: "We are looking at how we can reconfigure services currently delivered at Red Roofs, as part of our

wide-ranging work to review all PCT services as we put together our financial

recovery plans."

The unit has 12 beds and 15 staff, who provide round-the-clock medical care. There is a possibility it could be sold to a housing association if the closure goes ahead.

But the proposal has sparked anger from City of York Council's social services and health chief, Coun Sue Galloway, who said she was "shocked" the authority had not been consulted.

She said: "The council has an agreement with the PCT on the provision of mental health services, and any changes would have to be discussed and agreed with the city council. I'm very cross because we hear about these things piecemeal. I'm very unhappy the proposals... are not being thought through."

Responding to Coun Galloway's comments, a PCT spokesman said: "The PCT has had informal discussions with council officers but, because we have not yet made any firm decisions about the future of the site, we are not at the stage where we would formally consult with partner agencies."

Ms Jones said the PCT was looking at how it could develop services for patients' "changing needs".

She said: "There are also other factors we are considering; we have

developed more community-based services, which has led to a reduction in the number of people who require in-patient mental health care.

"So, as part of this, we are now looking at how we can develop services based on the changing needs of our patients.

"We are investigating whether the service provided at Red Roofs, which at the moment deals with a very small number of patients, could be provided in one of our other units, where these patients would have access to better facilities and enable us to use our resources and staff more efficiently -

benefiting patients and their families as well as enabling us to use our resources to best effect.

"Members of staff are able to have their say and raise any comments. It is really important for staff to engage in this consultation work.

"I would stress, however, that no decision has been made. We are still looking at the options available. No date has been set for a decision to be made."

Edna Mulhearn, who represents Unison members at the facility, said: "They will first have full consultation with Unison if it does close down. Staff have been put in the picture."

Updated: 09:58 Saturday, April 22, 2006