Campaigners oppose hospital for people with learning difficulties in Wales

St Luke’s Hospital Group, which was forced to close a care unit for adolescents in England last year following child protection concerns as reported by Community Care, faces huge opposition over its plans to open a new hospital in Wales for people with learning difficulties.

 

St Luke’s, which is part of Mild Professional Homes, paid NHS Wales £750,000 in April for the former Ebbw Vale Hospital in Gwent. The hospital closed in November 2005 and is due to reopen by the end of the year housing adults and children with learning difficulties.

 

St Luke’s was forced to close the Harleston unit in Attleborough last year after a Healthcare Commission investigation revealed serious concerns over the treatment of adolescents with learning difficulties.

 

Learning Disability Wales is writing to health and social care commissioners urging them to place people with learning difficulties in the community, in line with the Welsh learning difficulties strategy rather than at Ebbw Vale.

 

Learning Disability Wales director James Crowe said campaigners were “frankly aghast” at the development.

 

Mild Professional Homes was unavailable for comment.

 

More from Community Care

Comments are closed.