Opposition to the closure of the Barnes Unit
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The Barnes Unit is a Unit of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Trust (OMHT) which handles a variety of mental health cases such as those of deliberate self-harm (including self-poisoning) and attempted suicide. The Barnes Unit is currently facing closure, in an attempt to save 5,500,000 under the OMHT plans.
Each year the Unit sees over 1000 students, approximately 50 of which are students (around 1 student per week.) Closure of the Unit would mean that these people would be handled initially by Accident and Emergency services, and then by the Crisis Resolution Team (CRT) and Home Treatment Team (HTT). This adds more strain to the already overworked services and the CRT/HTT have little experience with attempted suicide presenting in Accident and Emergency.
Teaching currently takes place in the Barnes Unit, with medical students benefitting from experience of several issues not dealt with elsewhere on the medical course. The closure would mean that the opportunity to study many acute mental health difficulties would no longer be available to students of Oxford University.
The Barnes Unit also offers support for people with chronic fatigue syndrome and gender dysphoria. The closure would not only withdraw this support completely, it would also remove the opportunity for medical students to be taught about these conditions.
The closure could lead to a loss of money because only 7.7\% of Barnes Unit Referrals are admitted into inpatient mental health beds, compared with a national average of 11.4\% from other general hospitals. Without the Barnes Unit the general hospitals would see an overall increase in inpatients.
We oppose the closure of the Barnes Unit for the reasons outlines above.
Each year the Unit sees over 1000 students, approximately 50 of which are students (around 1 student per week.) Closure of the Unit would mean that these people would be handled initially by Accident and Emergency services, and then by the Crisis Resolution Team (CRT) and Home Treatment Team (HTT). This adds more strain to the already overworked services and the CRT/HTT have little experience with attempted suicide presenting in Accident and Emergency.
Teaching currently takes place in the Barnes Unit, with medical students benefitting from experience of several issues not dealt with elsewhere on the medical course. The closure would mean that the opportunity to study many acute mental health difficulties would no longer be available to students of Oxford University.
The Barnes Unit also offers support for people with chronic fatigue syndrome and gender dysphoria. The closure would not only withdraw this support completely, it would also remove the opportunity for medical students to be taught about these conditions.
The closure could lead to a loss of money because only 7.7\% of Barnes Unit Referrals are admitted into inpatient mental health beds, compared with a national average of 11.4\% from other general hospitals. Without the Barnes Unit the general hospitals would see an overall increase in inpatients.
We oppose the closure of the Barnes Unit for the reasons outlines above.
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Goal
450 signatures
Goal: 100
Latest Signatures
15 January 2016
12 January 2016
1 January 2016
27 December 2015
22 December 2015
446.
Ioana D
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The Barnes Unit has been admired all over the UK for its pioneering work in self harm assessment. It has enabled a lot of good research on self harm and repetition to take place. It should not be closed
Position (eg Medical student)
College Nurse
17 December 2015
13 December 2015
8 December 2015
23 November 2015
442.
Jon D
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Mental health is often squeezed at the expenses of specialities with more powerful lobbies. The NHS is in flux but metal health is bearing more than it's fair share. The Barnes Unit should stay.
Position (eg Medical student)
Medical Student
19 November 2015
14 November 2015
6 November 2015
439.
Jennifer N
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This is a disgusting lack of proper priorities!
Position (eg Medical student)
English Student
5 November 2015
4 November 2015
31 October 2015
27 October 2015
24 October 2015
20 October 2015
19 October 2015
432.
Joff L
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How long till there's no support for anyone, with any condition, anywhere? The rot must stop.
19 October 2015
431.
Ria H
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During my three years at Oxford, over 50\% of my friends had at some point self-harmed. Support services such as the Barnes Unit are vital, and must continue to receive whatever funding is necessary for their smooth operation.
Position (eg Medical student
18 October 2015
15 October 2015
10 October 2015
428.
James Devereuxw
|
The closure of the Barnes Unit woud put the lives of the most vulnerable at risk
Position (eg Medical student)
Student
8 October 2015
8 October 2015
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