Lack of consultation over Llandudno Bodnant Elderly Mentally Infirm Unit closure

Dec 18 2008 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

HEALTH chiefs have admitted there has been a lack of public consultation over plans to close patient beds at the Bodnant Elderly Mentally Infirm Unit in Llandudno.

Patients’ families and staff were left shocked after being told the ward had been declared unfit for purpose.

Two years ago a review was ordered into the services offered at the unit, with the director of nursing at the Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust promising full public consultation before a decision was made.

“But that hasn’t happened,” said one patient’s wife this week. “We have been kept in the dark as to what is going on and it has added to the stress and strain we are under anyway having family members suffering from Alzheimer’s.”

She attended a meeting of the Conwy Federation of Community Health Councils on Monday at which Wyn Thomas, chairman of Conwy Local Health Board (LHB), spoke.

“I told them I wasn’t happy with the way this has been handled. They are making plans without talking to the families,” she complained.

Wyn Thomas admits that not everyone had been consulted about the changes which will see inpatient beds transferred to the purpose built Bryn Hesketh EMI unit in Colwyn Bay.

“We have consulted some families who have been to Bryn Hesketh to see the facilities, but we haven’t yet done a full public consultation on the proposals because we were awaiting the outcome of the review of services at Llandudno Hospital,” he explained.

But he promised that information days for patients and their carers would be held in January.

Meanwhile, Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones believes EMI beds to supplement those at Bryn Hesketh could be provided at Llandudno Hospital.

“The future site for delivery of inpatient EMI care will depend on the outcome of the Llandudno Hospital Project Board which is considering what services can be provided from Llandudno,” he said.

“Currently the Bodnant Unit is not part of Llandudno Hospital or even the same Trust, but it might well be sited there in future under the management of one unified Trust when the NHS restructuring exercise kicks in.”

Health minister Edwina Hart also expressed concern about the way the issue has been handled.

“ I will certainly ask the director of the NHS to take this forward in discussions with the chief executive there,” she said.