May 15, 2018 10.35 am This story is over 85 months old

Future of Scunthorpe mental health building unclear

The closure of the facility has been controversial.

Sandfield House building on Ashby High Street. Picture: RDaSH.

The future of a Scunthorpe mental health service building is still in doubt after the trust that runs the facility was given notice to leave the premises by North Lincolnshire Council.

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust (RDaSH) was told to vacate the Sandfield House building, Ashby, in September 2017.

The council said previously it wanted to relocate the service to make it more inclusive and easier to access.

RDaSH had until December 31, 2017, to quit the facility and find alternative accomodation and has, to date, vacated the majority of its staff.

The trust added that the service has been relocated to Market Hill in Scunthorpe town centre and that they still are looking at other alternative accommodation for their services.

North Lincolnshire Council has confirmed that no decision has yet been made on the future use of the Sandfield House building.

The decision to give the trust notice to quit Sandfield House sparked protests from campaigners.

Demonstrators gathered outside the facility following the news and were joined by Scunthorpe MP, Nic Dakin, who said the service is “valued by all those who benefit from it”.

Opened in 2000, RDaSH operated a recovery college for patients with mental health problems from the building employing around 40 staff.

The service provided a range of educational courses, resources and practical therapeutic activities such as woodwork.

A spokesperson for RDaSH said: “It hasn’t affected our services in any way and while relocating staff creates a degree of disruption, our staff have embraced the changes and have used it to create even closer working relationships with mental health colleagues across the varied services we provide.

“RDaSH will continue to provide the existing range of health interventions for mental health, as we did before.

“Our services include Early Intervention in Mental Health; Assertive Outreach; Nurse Led Clinics; Dementia services; Community Mental Health Services and our Options Recovery College.”

A petition opposing the closure of the facility has since been set up.