NORTH Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has criticised a proposal by the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to close Swindon place of safety facilities.
The changes would see the closure of a ‘place of safety’ unit in Sandalwood Court Swindon and Fountain Hospital Salisbury with suites at Green Lane Hospital in Devizes serving the entire county.
This would mean Swindon mental health patients would be sent out of the area and face a 40-minute journey for assessment.
In a statement, Mr Tomlinson said: “I am incredibly disappointed to hear that AWP intends to close Swindon’s place of safety. I was given no prior warning of this. One in four people suffer from mental ill health each year and, at a time when the Prime Minister has rightly said we need to ensure we treat both mental & physical health equally, it cannot be right that residents in need of urgent, specialist support will be asked to travel 40 minutes to Devizes.
“It is crucial that support is provided to the most vulnerable people in a place which is safe, welcoming and close to family & friends. I will be sharing my concerns about these proposals directly with AWP.
Read More at: This is Whilshire (28th March 2017)