Town centre protest: Save our threatened mental health beds

10:26am Monday 3rd March 2014 in News By Liam Thorp, Reporter

Town centre protest: Save our threatened mental health beds

A PROTEST campaign was held in Bolton town centre on Saturday to make people aware of the proposed closure of one of the towns three mental health wards.

Led by members of Unison and the Bolton West Constituency Labour Party (CLP), the petition-signing event was staged in Victoria Square aimed at stopping Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Trust pressing ahead with its plans.

The trust, which covers Bolton, Salford and Trafford, is proposing to make 2.3 million a year savings from cuts to local services.

A period of consultation which started in November finishes at the end of this month. Protest organiser Karen Reissman said she was convinced 99 per cent of people in Bolton were unaware of the proposals.

She said: We want to let the public know because the period of consultation is coming to an end.

Ms Reissman said that the proposals which could mean a total loss of 29 adult beds across Bolton and Salford had been successfully opposed in Trafford, where plans for cuts had now been dropped.

If the proposal goes ahead, elderly and mental health beds for Bolton and Salford will be centralised at Woodlands in Little Hulton, with the loss of 25 older-age beds.

Originally posted here:
Town centre protest: Save our threatened mental health beds