21 June 2005

At today's County Council meeting the Green Party asked that the Council send a strong message to the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust to inform them that their proposals to close four of their six Day Hospitals for Older People, which mainly care for people with Alzheimer's and severe Depression, are unacceptable until there is funding available to provide alternative services.

The number of Green County Councillors increased from one to five in the recent elections.  One of their key manifesto promises was to protect Social and  Healthcare provision in the County. Larry Sanders, the Leader of the Green Group, said:

"The County Council must make it plain that there is a basic principle that  vital services for the most vulnerable people cannot be removed until there is funding available for suitable alternatives."

"The four day hospitals are in Witney, Thame, Abingdon and Henley.  The two that will continue are in Oxford and Banbury but most of their places will have to go to patients displaced from the closed hospitals.  Every community in the County will be affected."

The Council modified the Green motion to refer the matter to one of the County's scrutiny committees for further discussion. This was despite pleas from the Greens that the matter needed prompt attention and a strong message needed to be sent from all Councillors to the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust.

Says Cllr Sanders:  

"If we simply pass the proposals on to the Scrutiny Committees it is our  prediction that the rundown of the hospitals will continue, they will close without alternatives in place and that the Council will have failed in our responsibility to those who suffer.

Contact:
Larry Sanders
Leader, Green Group
Oxfordshire County Council

Telephone: 01865 723981