Petition hopes to stop Dunedin’s Wakari Hospital’s mental health ward closure

Photo / Gregor Richardson

Fears are growing about the lack of a clear plan for people with severe mental illness as the closure of a ward at Dunedin’s Wakari Hospital draws nearer.

Ward 11 of the mental health facility is set to close by the middle of the year — but a petition to stop the closure has been launched amid doubt proposed community-based care would be a safe alternative.

Maree Lapthorne, whose brother has schizophrenia and has been in and out of hospital for many years, yesterday said she was scared to think about what would happen to him when the ward closed.

“It’s extremely traumatic on the families, and it should be very worrying to the public.”

The family had been assured in November Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ) would develop a plan, but after repeated efforts to find out what would happen next, she feared no plan had yet been made.

Although the closure was announced in 2021, so far the only information the family had seen were “fluffy” descriptions of the concept of community care.

There was no detail about how it would be carried out, such as where patients would live and whether they would be alone or in a joint living arrangement.

Nor was there information about plans for security and care arrangements, such as the ratios of doctors and nurses and how potential lockdown situations would be carried out.

“They don’t have a plan and are wanting to force [him] into the community when we as family, and all the doctors and the nurses, know that he shouldn’t be in the community.”

The family wanted him to be in the community living a wholesome life, but the reality was he would never be well enough to cope and would be a danger to himself and others.

“He cannot even brush his teeth without being told — the simplest of tasks [have] to be drummed into him daily.

“Unfortunately, most patients are like this.

“They are also unpredictable due to their severe illnesses and at times [can] be abusive verbally and physically, even on medication.”

She was worried about the repercussions for anyone who needed a high level of mental healthcare, and believed a lack of inpatient care facilities could also cause homelessness to rise.

So far more than 200 people had signed the Change.org petition she launched, urging HNZ to reconsider the decision to close the ward, or to provide a comprehensive plan for an alternative — ideally a new, purpose-built facility on Wakari grounds.

Any new location the patients were relocated to needed to be away from congested areas to limit the risk to the community as well as limit access to drugs and alcohol, she said.

“We as a family want and are trying to fight against this to keep Ward 11 open or for [HNZ] to come up with a plan where these patients have somewhere to go.

“That excludes community care and... independent living.”

HNZ southern group operations director Hamish Brown said Ward 11 had 10 patients and there was no specific date for its closure.

“The closure will be confirmed once suitable community or other placements have been found [for] the current patients,” he said.

Brown said there was an individualised approach to transition to the community.

“All patients will have a comprehensively planned, supported and graduated transition.

“These arrangements need to meet the individual clinical, support and accommodation needs of each person.”

Patients would still receive support, including ongoing clinical support.

“We know that change can be unsettling and stressful for patients and whānau.”

Last October, HNZ said a review of regional mental health and addiction services had highlighted the need for those in Ward 11 to switch to appropriate community-based services.

Comcare Trust had signed on as the community provider in 2022, and work to implement the review was ongoing.