1,000 signatures reached
To: NHS
Save Broomhill Rehabilitation Unit
Keep Broomhill open
Why is this important?
Broomhill has been a hub in the centre of the community in Gedling, Nottingham for over twenty years. The centre works with people who have enduring and complex mental health problems, helping them to move back to independent living.
It is a Nurse-led, 12 bedded inpatient unit. In addition, it supports at least 15 patients in the community who are ex-residents, some of whom have no families or support network. In 2014 the Care Quality Commissioners inspected Broomhill and reported that it is an effective well run service that provides an excellent quality of care.
The NHS Trust that Broomhill is part of is planning to close the unit down by October 1st 2015.
The in-patients at Broomhill have very difficult needs. They require very skilled help and good therapeutic relationships before they are able to live independently. If Broomhill is closed it is likely one of 3 things will happen to our patients with complex needs:
they will be discharged from acute mental health wards into the community and receive an hour or two a week visits from a Community Mental health Team. It’s very likely that this will not be enough to prevent them from relapsing.
They will have to stay on the acute hospital wards for a long time. This takes up expensive beds and prevents others from getting a bed and not getting the rehabilitation and recovery work they need
The Trust will have to pay for very expensive services from another organisation, often in the private sector, and a long way from the patients’ home.
We are all very used to hearing that ‘Cuts are necessary’, but Broomhill is an amazing example of a service that shows excellent quality. Relapse is not just devastating for the patient but in the long term costs dearly and adds pressure to the NHS and other stretched public services.
Why break something up that works well and has helped so many patients and their carers?
You can read more information about Broomhill on this blog post: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2015/07/16/save-broomhill-rehabilitation-centre/
