Hospital Pass

Hospital Pass



Britain’s pioneering hospital for venerable people with complex personality disorders has been “temporarily” closed-the latest victim of the government’s joined up health policy.

Despite its international reputation for treating people with severe psychological problems, the Henderson Hospital in south west London has effectively been staved out of service.
Proving residential care for up to 30 people whose disorders make them the most difficult to treat, the Henderson used to receive central funding. Then ii was decided that primary health care trust should each contribute £23,000 annually towards its cost in the event that one or more of their patients needed the specialist service. But some trust opted out, saying they would pay on a case-by-case basis, in the region of £100,000 per person.
Until national funding was withdrawn in 2005, there was a six month waiting list to get into the hospital. Since then, lack of funded admissions forced the “temporary” closure by South West London and St George’s Mental HealthTrust;.
While Ivan Lewis, minister for mental health and care services, has made noises about sorting out regional funding, nothing has happened, leaving the lucrative site for some huge for-profit private health company to take over. Brilliant!


Cartoon to Follow.



Article quoted from Private Eye Magazine 1212