HEALTH chiefs have confirmed that a Southampton hospital’s dementia ward will remain closed until May, after nursing shortages forced it to shut in November.

As part of an update paper compiled for Hampshire County Council, bosses at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust say that the previously announced six-month closure of the Beaulieu ward at Western Community Hospital would continue as planned.

The ward, which provides treatment and 24-hour care for older people with ‘organic mental health needs’ – in most cases dementia, will remain shut until May at the earliest.

This, they say, is to “help maintain a safe level of care to patients”, adding they need to recruit “six experienced nurses” to be able to reopen the ward.

As reported last year, the decision to close the ward, at the hospital in Millbrook, was made after several nurses resigned toward the end of 2018. This left the team with just two experienced nurses, one part-time nurse and two newly qualified nurses.

Bosses say that these staff have been “allocated to appropriate placements, as agreed with them”, and a recruitment campaign has been set up.

They add that while the ward is closed, upgrades to it are being installed, including the introduction of single-sex accommodation.

As a result of the closure, it was reported that patients had to travel to Gosport War Memorial Hospital or Parklands Hospital in Basingstoke for treatment.

This prompted backlash from campaign groups, with Harry Dymond, chairman of Healthwatch Southampton, claiming “this is a very sorry situation and reflects the growing difficulty in employing qualified staff”.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “We are doing all we can to find a solution to our recruitment issues and a recruitment plan has been produced. Existing staff have also been offered the opportunity to undertake additional training and development to help us reopen the ward as quickly as possible.”

Paula Hull, director of nursing and allied health professionals the trust, said: “All patients who were being supported on the ward have been safely discharged or transferred to another inpatient ward that provides support for older people with mental health needs in Hampshire.

“We must put the safety of our patients first. We are working closely with the people we support, their families, and our staff and colleagues across the local health and care system to ensure patients receive care in the most appropriate setting. We plan to reopen Beaulieu Ward as soon as we have the Registered Nurses in post to safely staff the ward.”