A PSYCHIATRIC ward at a troubled York hospital is being closed down - although the trust that runs the facility says it is only a temporary measure.

Clifton House, off Shipton Road, Rawcliffe, has already shut one ward in the last 12 months and will make Rose Ward, which is believed to be for women with a personality disorder, the second.

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust runs the hospital and has decided to close the 10-bed low security ward when its remaining three patients are discharged. It says it will then consider the best use of the ward “going forward”.

The trust closed its male-only Westerdale ward in December last year due to a staff shortage.

The trust, which also ran Bootham Park Hospital until its sudden closure over safety concerns in 2015, embarked on a “national high profile recruitment campaign” in January 2017 to try and attract sufficient numbers of qualified nurses to the low secure forensic mental health service, but did not get the numbers required.

It is now set to close its second ward, with staff moved elsewhere in the trust.

A member of the public told The Press: “The morale, confidence and faith is crushed not only for the patients, families and carers, but for their future.”

Joanna Forster-Adams, chief operating officer at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “For a number of months there have only been three patients on the ward and we are planning to discharge these patients in the coming weeks.

“Once the patients are discharged, we will temporarily close the ward while we work with our commissioners, NHS England, on the best use of this facility going forward. All the staff working on Rose Ward will be redeployed into similar roles within the trust.

“We have been working with NHS England alongside other local mental health providers to explore future options for low secure beds, both in York and in the wider Vale of York and Humber area so that the needs of local populations are met. The use of the wards at Clifton House forms part of these discussions and we are hopeful that a clear plan will be in place soon.”