A WOMAN whose father was cared for at a hospital ward in Southampton claimed they were given four days notice before the unit was shut.

As previously reported, the Beaulieu ward at Western Community Hospital in Millbrook was closed on November 16 due a shortage of nurses.

The ward provided treatments and care for people with dementia and could remain closed for the next six months.

The closure left patients having to be relocated to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital or Parklands Hospital in Basingstoke to receive the same services.

But Shirley resident Karon Bricknell, whose father Ken had been treated at Beaulieu ward since July, said the closure has caused disruptions to families and “already vulnerable people” and is calling for the ward to be reopened as soon as possible.

The 58-year-old housewife claimed patients and their families were informed of the closure on November 13.

She said: “You can’t send someone to Basingstoke and Gosport and have no repercussions on the lives of those. Southampton needs a facility like this.”

She said relocating her 84-year-old father to the hospitals in Gosport or Basingstoke would have made it difficult for her and her family to visit him.

She contacted a care home in Southampton where her father, who has been suffering from dementia for the past seven years, is currently cared for.

But she is calling for Beaulieu ward to be reopened as soon as possible.

She said: “We are in shock at this decision. The staff employed there was marvellous and I’m shocked they have closed the ward.”

A spokesperson for Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for providing the services at Beaulieu ward, would not confirm when families and patients were informed of the closure.

A statement said: “We fully accept that this situation is not ideal and apologise for the disruption this has caused for patients and their families. We did all we could to avoid the need to close Beaulieu Ward.

“Each patient was assessed based on their individual care needs. We will be speaking with individual families to offer support to cover additional transport needs they may have in order to visit loved ones.”

As previously reported, six experienced nurses are needed for the ward to be reopened.

The trust says the ward will reopen as soon as possible.