We are "Ward 24 Carers Action Group" and we speak out for dementia patients who have no voice.

Ward 24 is a good quality ward with an excellent reputation caring for dementia patients. It is a light and airy ward with wide corridors. People suffering from dementia are often restless and can be aggressive and need calming, spacious surroundings.

The proposal in 2010 was to close ward 24 and move dementia patients to Duchy Court at Lynfield Mount in Bradford. At the following public consultations we voiced our many concerns one being that patients carers and loved ones would have to travel up to 90 miles and catch up to 5 buses, however the BDCT (Bradford Discrict Care Trust) decided that the move would go ahead. We very reluctantly agreed and now had to make sure that the new ward would be up to standard. The consultation on the design began 9th April 2013 and we were assured that the new ward would significantly improve conditions for our dementia patients. We are now on design option 12 and this has not happened. The latest proposed design has the pre-existing narrow corridors, restricting mobility. We were promised that all rooms would be single en-suite; this will not be the case. The proposed reception area has to be separately manned in this plan, unlike ward 24 where the administration staff has a view of people arriving and leaving the ward. To make the new ward secure would mean employing more staff which would add to running costs. These are just a small sample of our concerns.

There have been better designs put forward that could make an excellent dementia ward, satisfying clinical staff, with a bit of tweaking, but we have been told there isn't the money available.

Our preferred option is to keep Ward 24 where it is, near to a general hospital and in a central geographic location for Wharfedale, Airedale and Bradford being fair to all service users 

Please sign this petition as we are fighting to keep an excellent ward for our patients, which has easy access for all.

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 Closing date 31st May 2014