The Save Stroud Hospitals Taskforce has been campaigning since spring 2006 against a range of cuts to health services in and around Stroud.  Read about some of the campaign milestones here.  Stroud Maternity Hospital was saved in September 2006. 

Final decision on Weavers Croft

We are hugely disappointed with the decision made by the Secretary of State for Health, The Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson M.P., to relocate the older people's mental health in-patient services from Weavers Croft to Charlton Lane, Cheltenham.

As the people of our community have clearly said, such services should be located in the patient's own community.  Older people with a mental illness need their loved ones near them so they can be visited easily and regularly.

We do note, in the Secretary of State's decision, a number of positive developments resulting from the HOSC referral.

• The Glos PCT, the Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and the County Council must be explicit about how services across health and social care will be co-ordinated to meet the needs of people with mental health problems
• The above three partners, working with transport agencies, must ensure before the changes take place that appropriate arrangements are in place to facilitate access and travel to Charlton Lane and they must accept continuing responsibility for maintaining these arrangements.
• The redesign and strengthening of community services and community mental health teams is a necessary precondition of any change to the provision of specialist inpatient beds.  Some strengthening has already taken place but community staffing levels are only fractionally more than when this whole process began.
• The new Charlton Lane facility will now be operational only when it has been refurbished and developed to provide the highest standards of patient care. This is expected to be in 16 months time.  Whilst awaiting the completion of this new facility patients will be cared for at Holly House, Gloucester and at the existing facility for older people at Charlton Lane, Cheltenham.
• There is a requirement to provide clarification of the services apart from Community Mental Health Teams for older people with mental health problems, that will be provided from Weavers Croft, which will continue as a mental health facility.

We have been impressed by the work done and commitment shown by members of the HOSC during the past 18 months.

It is extremely important that we monitor closely the reorganisation and delivery of the redesigned service to ensure that those things required by the Secretary of State are actually delivered.

We would particularly like to thank everyone for their superb support and would ask for continued support of our very important mental health services in the future.

We will continue to keep you informed of developments.