South Kesteven and Grantham Town Councillor raises concerns for carers over permanent closure of Grantham dementia ward

A health campaigner and councillor has warned that the permanent closure of a dementia ward will increase pressure on families and council services.

South Kesteven District and Grantham Town Councillor Charmaine Morgan fears that the permanent closure of Grantham Hospital’s Manthorpe dementia ward and the move to home-based care will overburden families and local services.

The 18-bedded unit, temporarily closed since April 2020 due to staffing pressures, will not reopen, with the trust opting to continue its home treatment model for dementia patients across the county.

Coun Morgan (Grantham St Vincents Ward) expressed disappointment at the decision, highlighting the strain on families providing care at home.

“Whilst care in the community appears an attractive option, in reality it relies heavily not only on NHS resources but also the support of LCC social services, occupational health and appropriate housing provision, either by the resident themselves or by SKDC Housing,” she said.

“There is also a huge burden on family members who become carers.”

She said a hybrid approach retaining local inpatient beds would have been preferable, but noted the lack of suitable housing for dementia patients.

“I have a local elderly carer struggling to care for their partner, who is also elderly and suffering with increasingly severe dementia, living in a two-up, two-down house,” she said.

“Not only is it completely unsuitable accommodation, but it is also insecure, with their relative able to wander off out of the house.”

Although she agreed with NHS representatives that patients benefit from familiar surroundings, Charmaine said those with more complex needs now have to travel, as local hospital beds in Grantham are no longer available.

She added: “It is, in reality, a matter of good fortune if you receive care in the community as a dementia patient and are supported in a home that practically meets your physical and security needs.”

LPFT says its home treatment service reduces hospital admissions, with Lincoln’s Langworth ward providing sufficient capacity.

Eve Baird, chief operating officer, told councillors that feedback from patients and families using the service has been “really supportive and positive.”

“The concerns raised through the public engagement in relation to the service were mainly focused on the impact of travel to Lincoln if someone from the Grantham area required an admission,” she said.

“Other concerns that were raised were more broadly about dementia pathways as a whole.

“As a trust, we’re absolutely committed to supporting families to visit and maintain relationships during admissions if they’re required.

“We work with individual families to make sure we’ve got mechanisms in place to do that.”

She added: “What we’re about to do is provide meaningful and careful treatment for people in their own homes.

“For people with dementia generally uprooting them from their environments in often busy and chaotic inpatient services often has quite a detrimental impact on their own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of their families.

“That’s been a positive thing for us. What we’re seeing overall is that fewer people are needing to travel since we introduced the county-wide home treatment service."

Many locals expressed frustration online over increased travel and the gradual loss of services, including maternity and children’s wards.

Some residents warned the closures make it harder for elderly patients to access timely care, while others praised the home-based model for reducing patient distress.

Coun Morgan also raised concerns about Grantham’s maternity provision, noting instances where women in labour faced difficulties finding available beds in Lincolnshire, with one required to travel as far as Wakefield.

She has requested a report on the frequency of maternity unit closures across the county.