Having campaigned for many months to keep vital mental health beds in north-east Cheshire, local MP, David Rutley, has welcomed new plans from local health service leaders to keep inpatient mental health beds in Macclesfield. This improved proposal replaces earlier plans to transfer the last remaining mental health beds in north-east Cheshire to Chester, which David actively campaigned against, with many concerned local patients and residents.
Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (ECCCG), and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership (CWP), the local mental health services provider, have put forward a new preferred option, which would ensure that inpatient mental health beds stay in Macclesfield. 15 of these beds would be set aside for older patients with more complex conditions, such as dementia, at the former Complex Assessment & Recovery Services ward on the Macclesfield District General Hospital site. A further 26 beds would be allocated for impatient use by other adults at Lime Walk House in Macclesfield. There would also be up to 6 local short stay crisis beds in the wider community.
These plans are included in a Decision-Making Business Case, which was published today, and which is being put forward at the next meeting of the three local Clinical Commissioning Groups, for their review and decision on 22nd November.
Alongside East Cheshire Mental Health Forum and local MPs, Fiona Bruce and Esther McVey, David has consistently and actively opposed the earlier proposals that were put forward by local health service leaders and consulted on earlier this year, which would have seen the last remaining adult inpatient beds transferred from north-east Cheshire to an expanded facility at the Bowmere Hospital in Chester. These proposals would have seen local patients, and their families and carers, having to make a round-trip of over eighty miles to access the care and support services that they need.
Following the publication of the report, David will review the plans with local health services leaders and seek further details on the latest proposals for rehabilitation patients.
David said, “This announcement is a positive step forward and I am grateful to local health service leaders for listening to the clear strength of public opinion in north-east Cheshire, which I strongly represented in regular meetings with them. The improved new proposals that have been put forward would see vital inpatient mental health beds for adults stay in Macclesfield, where they deserve to be. I also pay tribute to East Cheshire Mental Health Forum, whose active and effective campaigning has been crucial in bringing us to this important stage. I would strongly urge local health service leaders to approve these important proposals at their meeting later this month.”