Trust 'sorry for confusion' over mental health ward closure

The Trust in charge of a mental health ward in South Lakeland, which is due to close, says it "didn't get the message right" when informing the public about the news.

Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust says it is "genuinely sorry" for any confusion caused by news of the closure.

It says the decision to shut the Kentmere Unit at Westmorland General Hospital, in Kendal, was made after the Care Quality Commission found it didn't meet minimum safety standards.

Local patients and politicians reacted angrily to the closure, and the Chief Executive of the Trust has now released a statement to reassure them.

Claire Molloy says the change is "temporary and we are reviewing the timescales we set out last week along with our partners.”

The Trust's Medical Director, Andrew Brittlebank, says some existing staff will be redeployed in "community settings".