Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Bed closures create new service gap as old one is filled (Canada) Canada NewsWire press release - "While filling an important gap in the community, Kingston's Providence Continuing Care Centre Mental Health Services may be creating a new one back at the former Kingston Psychiatric Hospital with the closure of 22 mental health beds beginning this month. 'Providence may be a bit too optimistic in thinking that the demand for these beds will be offset by the introduction of a Community Treatment Team later this spring,' says Leah Casselman, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). 'With a traditionally high occupancy rate, we are concerned that chronic mental health patients may be denied beds in favour of a treatment system that may not be fully in place or have adequate and appropriate resources to service them.' Providence is immediately closing 11 of 220 beds, with a further 11 to go as chronic patients vacate them. "