Julian Knight, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Solihull and local NHS campaigner has been promised that the new facility at Solihull Hospital planned to replace dementia Ward Ten will be "bigger and better".
Julian has met with NHS bosses to discuss their plans for revamping dementia care at Solihull Hospital.
Under plans being discussed by the Clinical Commissioning Group and The Heart of England Trust there will be a new ward opened where patients with dementia will be cared for. Instead of operating as a step down facility the new ward will house dementia patients from admission to when they are ready to be discharged. Specialist nurses trained in dementia care will be on the ward. What's more, acute geriatric patients will also benefit from this new specialist facility which is designed to create a peaceful, quiet and caring space.
Julian Knight, who has been campaigning against the outright closure of Ward Ten, has welcomed the new plans for the new facility: "When I and Caroline Spelman MP first exposed the Ward Ten closure plans we faced dozens of patients with dementia being thrust back onto general wards, this wouldn't do."
"After months of campaigning we are now in a very different place. If what the Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) promises actually happens, then we could be looking at a new acute frailty unit being opened, potentially with more capacity than Ward Ten with the same principles of close personal care and peace and quiet for the most vulnerable patients."
"However, as yet these are just fine words what I want to see is action. The thousands of people in Solihull who have backed my campaign on dementia care will not tolerate being spun a line and neither will I."