MP to meet with NHS directors at troubled mental health hospital in bid to 'keep institution in Northampton'
A MP will meet with the NHS directors in charge of dealing with a troubled mental health hospital, as he works to “keep the institution in Northampton”.
Mike Reader, MP for Northampton South, is due to meet with the healthcare bosses twice this week to discuss what can be done to protect patients and jobs at St Andrew’s Hospital.
NHS England stepped in earlier this year and announced all 287 inpatients would be removed from the site due to continued safety concerns. The move was made to take action at the hospital in March after NHS England said it still did not have “adequate assurance that patient safety is improving at the rate it needs”.
However, since the announcement, there is now a proposal being explored to keep some of the most “complex secure patients” on the site.
In the latest update, Mr Reader says he will be sitting down with NHS directors to make sure long term support is put in. This comes after he met with the health secretary in April.
In a video on his Facebook page, Mr Reader said: “My team and I have arranged to for me to sit down with the NHS directors who are leading the work at St Andrew’s to help keep patients safe and help protect jobs in Northampton.
"I’ll be meeting them twice this week as I continue to push for more support for the patients, for the staff, for the hospital. I want to make sure I understand the plan for protecting services and making sure that we put in long term support at St Andrew’s to keep this institution in Northampton.”
Mr Reader added: “Patients deserve safe care. Staff deserve security. And Northampton deserves to keep this service. I'm meeting with NHS directors twice this week to push for exactly that.”
The MP also asked anyone who has been cared for at St Andrew’s, or who works there, to get in touch to share their experiences. Search ‘Mike Reader Northampton South’ on Facebook to find the post where the MP is asking for comments to be left.
The current provider at St Andrew’s previously said NHS England is working on site with staff and said St Andrew’s “continues to make improvements to the quality of care for inpatients”.