A change.org petition entitled ‘Save Our Local Mental Health Facilities’ has been launched by South West Bedfordshire Labour Party’s Disability Officer Natashya Becks, to protect three local mental health facilities in Houghton Regis and Luton from closure by an East London NHS Trust development.
Miss Becks, who has previously spoken against the threatened closures, commented: ‘I launched this petition because our community deserves a voice. I speak for every mind, for every one of our community, when I say for an issue which touches all of us on some level, it is outrageous to try and remove our local mental health facilities. While no one is against the ELFT proposal to build a new 60-million-pound facility at Bedford hospital, it is ludicrous that our local services should be shut down in return. Their approach must be county-wide, prioritising every community as a whole, not just one. Accessible, local services must be protected.'
The joint East London NHS Foundation Trust, Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning group venture has sparked ‘outrage’ across the country after it was announced it would most likely lead to the closure of inpatient services at Townsend Court, Calnwood Court and Oakley Court.
Miss Becks finished: ‘The Dunstable and Houghton Regis Labour Party branch would like to reach out to our community to rally behind this, share as widely as possible and of course to please sign. Through this petition, we are calling on the ELFT and authorities to adjust their proposal so our local mental health facilities are not shut down.’
To sign the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/central-bedfordshire-council-save-our-local-mental-health-facilities
