BASINGSTOKE hospital has reassured families who use a respite unit under threat of closure that the services it runs there will be unaffected.

As previously reported, parents of children with severe learning difficulties or disabilities are fighting to save Firvale in Basingstoke from closure by Hampshire County Council (HCC).

Read more: Families fight to save children's respite unit from closure

The council has launched a consultation on the closure of the residential respite children’s unit next to Basingstoke hospital, in a bid to save £450,000 towards cuts to its Children’s Services Budget totalling £21 million.

The council says it cannot afford to pay the £400,000 improvements needed to the purpose-built unit, which is owned by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Firvale has nine beds – five used by HCC and four used by Basingstoke hospital.

Julie Dawes, chief nurse at Basingstoke hospital, said: “The health services run by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for children at Firvale are unaffected by the Hampshire County Council consultation of their own services, which operate out of the building owned by HHFT.

“We are continuing to provide expert care and support to children and their families, and are planning ahead as we continue to develop and improve our services for children and young people. Hampshire hospitals is committed to providing outstanding care to children in our community both now and in the future.”

Families who use Firvale said they had been told by the hospital that it does not know what will happen to respite provided by HHFT if the council stopped its provision.

The hospital trust has been asked if it will have to pay the £400,000 needed for improvements if HCC stops using the unit.

A spokesperson for HCC confirmed that only the provision provided by the council is under threat of closure.

They added: “No decisions have been made and the feedback about the proposal, gathered through the consultation, will be considered alongside other factors before any final decision is reached.”

The council said it had been working with families and providers to find “better and more cost-effective ways of meeting children, young people and family needs by expanding available respite elsewhere, both residential and with foster carers.”

It is also developing alternative respite, including sleep support and behaviour management.

The spokesperson said: “The proposal for making the closure of the social care provision permanent, if agreed would not necessarily mean a reduction in available provision across the county and this proposal does not remove our duty to ensure there is sufficient provision available to meet the assessed needs of children and their families, both now and in the future.”

Families criticised the council for failing to adequately publicise its consultation on the plans.

HCC said it had written to all the families who were using Firvale before it closed at the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020 and had informed social workers, schools and posted on social media.

The consultation ends of March 28. 

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