Campaigners oppose hospital for people with learning difficulties in Wales

[bioe...@gmail.com]

St Luke's Hospital Group, which was forced to close a care unit for
adolescents in England last year following child protection concerns as
reported by Community Care, faces huge opposition over its plans to
open a new hospital in Wales for people with learning difficulties.

St Luke's, which is part of Mild Professional Homes, paid NHS Wales
£750,000 in April for the former Ebbw Vale Hospital in Gwent. The
hospital closed in November 2005 and is due to reopen by the end of the
year housing adults and children with learning difficulties.

St Luke's was forced to close the Harleston unit in Attleborough last
year after a Healthcare Commission investigation revealed serious
concerns over the treatment of adolescents with learning difficulties.

Learning Disability Wales is writing to health and social care
commissioners urging them to place people with learning difficulties in
the community, in line with the Welsh learning difficulties strategy
rather than at Ebbw Vale.

Learning Disability Wales director James Crowe said campaigners were
"frankly aghast" at the development.