Huddersfield could lose St Luke's mental health services

Mar 31 2010 By Emma Davison

IT is looking increasingly likely that Huddersfield will have no beds for seriously mentally ill patients by the end of this year.

And although health bosses say they are continuing to search for alternative premises, nothing has been found so far.

St Luke’s will shut by December 10 this year and, if nowhere else is found, mentally-ill patients will be moved to Calderdale and Dewsbury.

At a meeting at the Crosland Moor hospital yesterday, health bosses were told that inpatient services will be transferred out of the area on an ‘interim’ basis – but this could be permanent move.

This is the latest blow to the service users and their families who have long feared the hospital’s closure could leave mental health patients isolated from their loved ones.

Members of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust board were told in a report: “In 2005 the Trust carried out extensive stakeholder engagement on future plans for services.

“Formal public consultation followed which concluded in March 2006 with a public mandate to move inpatient services from St Luke’s Hospital site.

“In view of the need to be off the site by December 2010 and the unavailability of suitable land development at the time of the searches, the Trust board agreed to an interim solution of using existing vacant estate.