'Changes' for elderly mental health care at Waterside Hospital

In a recent response to an Assembly question, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey stated that the ward (Ward 3-Waterside Hospital) was not under threat of closure. In that statement Mr McGimpsey said: "In line with the Bamford Review, older people with mental health needs will undergo comprehensive assessments to assess how best to meet their needs. Ward 3 will provide new interim accommodation for Elderly Mentally Infirm and Functionally Mentally Infirm assessment wards.

"Ward 3 in the Waterside Hospital provides 18 continuing care places for elderly people with mental health problems."

However, Unison Branch Secretary and former mental health nurse, George McKnight has told the Sentinel that a mental health ward in the facility is doomed to close.

Mr McKnight told the Sentinel: "They still haven't admitted that a ward is closing and that ward is called Ballycann."

Whilst agreeing that the Trust have liased with unions and staff, Mr McKnight claimed the WHSCT is not telling the full story.

"The closure of this ward will leave one ward in the whole of Derry to deal with long term elderly mentally ill people," he said.

A statement from the WHSCT received by the Sentinel stated: "Ward 3 in the Waterside Hospital is not closing. Services provided on Ward 3 are changing. The Trust is in agreement with what has been stated by the Minister.

"We appreciate that this change to service does impact on staff and we have been continuing to engage with staff on the ward their Trade Union representatives throughout all stages of this process.

"Patients/clients currently on Ward 3 have been assessed and plans are in place to meet their care needs in the most suitable environment."

But, George McKnight reiterated the question: "Is there a mental health ward closing in Waterside Hospital?"

Indeed, the Sentinel also posed this question to both the WHSCT and the department of Health, but only received the reply that is stated in full within this article.

The Sentinel also spoke to nursing staff at the facility who are fearful for their future employment. Although the staff did not wish to be named, one nurse, who has worked there for five years said: "The ward had the ability to cater for 18 patients, but as of now only five patients remain in the facility. We stopped taking admissions last year.

"According to my understanding of the Bamford Review there would not be the provision of funding for care for the long term elderly mentally ill. So the service will stop because of budget cut backs. Over the last few weeks other patients have been shifted to general wards elsewhere or within the Waterside Hospital. Elderly mentally ill patients have been allocated two further places in the hospital but are not being cared for by dedicated mental health care staff.

“They have worded it that the ward isn’t closing but is being used for assessment,” she said.

The staff nurse also said that there are 24 staff currently linked to the ward in Waterside Hospital and that they have been given graded assessments in order to find positions of redeployment. Despite this process having begun several months ago, as yet no one has received notice of other positions within the Trust.

Our source said: “I can’t see where 24 staff are going to.”

The nurse also said that there would be a detrimental human effect involved within this process.

“We have patients who have been on these on these wards for 50 or 60 years and who have lived their whole lives within Gransha grounds. The onus is being placed upon their families to step in and care for them. ”

George McKnight also echoed the staff members assessment of the situation and told the Sentinel: “This is the way things are going. People are waiting on redeployment, but where are they going to go? There aren’t the jobs to send them to. There will be redundancies at the end of this.”

Again, all of the staff nurses’ concerns were addressed to the WHSCT and the Department of Health Press Offices but only illicited the response contained above in this article.