One week left to give your views: older people’s mental health inpatient services

The NHS in Kirklees is reminding people that there are only a few days left to give your views on improving mental health care for older people before the consultation closes on Friday 29 March.

The consultation asks people to share their views about creating specialist inpatient wards for older people with dementia, and dedicated wards for older people living with other mental health needs such as anxiety, depression or psychosis, which are known as ‘functional mental health needs’.

At the moment, most older people’s mental health inpatient wards in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield care for mixed needs. This means people living with dementia or a functional mental health need, share the same ward space.

Professor Subha Thiyagesh, chief medical officer and consultant in psychiatry for older people, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust:

“Creating separate wards for people with dementia, and those with functional mental health needs, will help us give the right care in the right environment, whilst improving the care and wellbeing of our patients.

“It is important to hear from people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. In particular, those who live with dementia, or a functional mental health need, their families, carers, loved ones and health and care staff.

“There are only a few days left for people to let us know what they think. We very much value people’s thoughts on our proposals. Giving your views will mean our communities, patients, carers, families, loved ones and staff are at the heart of our decision. Please take the time to visit our website and fill in our survey.”

At the moment there are older people’s mental health inpatient wards based in The Dales at Calderdale Royal Hospital, Priestley Unit at Dewsbury and District Hospital, Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield, and The Poplars in Hemsworth.

The proposals are to create a specialist dementia ward at either the Priestley Unit, Dewsbury and District Hospital or at Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield.

Patients living with a functional mental health need would be cared for in a dedicated ward at the other main hospital locations. The proposals do not include The Poplars in Hemsworth which is no longer suitable for an older people’s mental health inpatient ward.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board are working together on the consultation.

People can find out more about the consultation on the website: www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/opsconsultation including how to give their views using the online survey. If you do not have access to the internet, you can call 0800 587 2108 free and someone will be in touch. The consultation will close on Friday 29 March 2024. Once the consultation closes all the feedback received will help the local NHS make an informed decision.