Yeovil Hospice to close unit?
There appears to be something of a crisis developing at Yeovil Hospice. Proposals have been announced to close the in-patient unit there. This has attracted a lot of agitated correspondence here at Leveller Towers.
The 12 bed unit that is proposed for closure provides a much needed service to the local community and is according to several of our correspondents “always running to capacity.”
St Margaret’s that run the hospice say they will now consolidate in-patients at their Taunton Hospice which will go from 12 to 16 beds. That still leaves a net loss of 8 beds to the county as whole.
However the charity that run the hospice claim the closure is due to financial pressures and staff shortages. Presumably the two are likely to be linked.
There will be a public meeting at the Octagon Theatre, Yeovil on Wednesday 14th August at 6.30pm to discuss the future of the Hospice and to get a better understanding of what has led to the proposed closure. This is not the venue that has been publicised elsewhere – the meeting venue has changed due to the large numbers expected.