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Fears over 'privatisation' of hospital dementia ward

Surbiton.com: August 13, 2012 - 6:00am

South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust (SWLSTG) is outsourcing care at Fuschias ward in Tolworth Hospital, home to seven patients from Kingston and Richmond with dementia.

The patients will remain on the ward, which will be leased to a contractor, but shrunk from 20 beds down to seven to fit the remaining patients while cutting costs.

The trust, in consultation with NHS Kingston, said it would commission an expert provider in dementia care and ensure staff were transferred over, but relatives raised concerns.

NHS organisations will have to compete with private firms to win the contract.

Louise Tarleton-Hodgson, whose father has been a patient on Fuschias ward since 2004, said private firms would be more concerned with making profit than looking after patients.

She was worried staff who have looked after patients for several years would be replaced with cheaper alternatives.

NHS Kingston announced plans last year to make £676,000 in savings on mental health and was working on draft plans to identify another £1.44m during 2012-13.

Read more: 
http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/9868335.Fears_over__privatisation__of_hospital...

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