St Mary's Lodge To Close

6.14.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th Jul 2004

The Minister of State for Health has accepted the recommendations of a review panel and has agreed to the closure of St Mary's Lodge in Hampton - a 16 bed residential facility for older people with mental health needs (only 7 residents are now left).

The decision making on this change has been extraordinarily long winded. A review was started in 2000. A decision was made 18 months ago but appealed. It will now be implemented.

Vincent Cable said: "There has been a genuine problem for the remaining residents who were promised a 'home for life' and are very vulnerable. Even with great sensitivity, the move of the remaining handful of residents will be difficult and a promise to the residents will be broken".

There will now be speculation over the future of the site, and the NHS will try to obtain maximum value for the site (reinvesting the proceeds in mental health services). Vincent Cable said: "residents will be concerned about the damages of over development. It will be interesting to see if the local health authority carry out their original suggestions of creating a residential and nursing home on the site for elderly people, or simply try to get the highest price, from more 'luxury' housing".