Past press releases

PRESS RELEASE: 7 November 2004

NORFOLK-WIDE CONFERENCE ENDORSES MACK'S CAMPAIGN ON ELDERLY CARE

In an impassioned speech Dr Mack highlighted the distress that closure would cause to many patients and their relatives across the county. He also warned that in the future many patients would be forced into private care homes where they would be subject to means testing of their savings and the potential loss of their homes. "It is a tragedy that these people who have given so much during their lives both in paying taxes and contributing to their local communities should be treated in this way when they are most frail, in need and vulnerable."

Liberal Democrats across the county will be launching a campaign to stop the closure of local units, which has the support of relatives and elected local Councillors. They will also be supporting the national Liberal Democrat campaign to introduce free personal care for the elderly, as has already been brought in by the Liberal Democrat partnership government in Scotland.

ENDS

1. For more information please contact: Dr Ian Mack 01553 810253 (day), 01366 500942 (eve), 07974961752 (mob), email Docianmack@aol.com
2. The full text of the motion agreed by conference was as follows

Elderly Mental Health Services in Norfolk

Conference notes:
1) The Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust have started a consultation on the closure of in patient elderly mentally infirm (EMI) unit beds in Norfolk at Cygnet House, Long Stratton, Rebecca Court, North Walsham, Yew Tree/Laburnham Wards at Hellesdon and Ellacombe at Thorpe Hamlet.
2) The consequence of these closures will reduce the number of EMI beds in central Norfolk from 101 to 28 and base them all in Norwich.
3) Norfolk continues to have a growing population of the very elderly and that the incidence of dementia in this group is increasing.

Conference believes:
1) The principal aim of this cut in beds is to reduce NHS costs of elderly mental health care in Norfolk by forcing many frail elderly people into a Nursing Home environment, where they would have to pay for their personal care.
2) Elderly people with dementia deserve the same level of free care as those with other illnesses currently provided by the NHS.
3) The proposed changes will lead to considerable difficulties for relatives of patients who live in rural areas outside Norwich and will reduce their ability to spend quality time with their relatives and will add to their distress.
4) The continued lack of democratic accountability of the NHS in Norfolk reduces the ability of local people to influence the outcome of this consultation.

Conference resolves:
1) To oppose the closure of units which continue to have the support of carers, relatives and locally elected councillors.
2) To actively support the Liberal Democrats national campaign to provide free personal care for the elderly.
3) To campaign for NHS commissioning decisions to be made by democratically elected local councillors, fully responsive and accountable to the people of Norfolk.
4) To highlight the continued underfunding of Mental Health Services in Norfolk as a consequence of the governments obsession with central targets and bureaucracy.