15033/1PATIENTS using mental health care facilities in north Wiltshire fear that cuts in services this year could lead to the closure of Rowden Hill House day hospital in Chippenham.

In the last 12 months drop-in centres and rehab houses used by mental health patients in Devizes and Chippenham have been converted into offices.

Malcolm Sinclair, director of mental health services for the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said that while there are no proposals for changes to the services provided at Rowden Hill House for adults of working age, the service is under review.

He said: "Following a public consultation in 2002 it was clear that all day services in Chippenham were valued by service users but it was agreed that some changes would be made."

The primary care trust, Wiltshire County Council and the partnership are carrying out the review.

Mr Sinclair said: "The aim is to achieve better integration of the range of health and social care services for older adults and it may mean that some services are provided differently in future."

But following meetings with the trust, users are concerned the Chippenham day hospital may be under threat.

They say cutbacks would mean patients relying on unqualified staff instead of trained psychiatric nurses for support.

Richard Bishop, the co-chairman of the Wiltshire and Swindon Users' Network, which gives users of community care and health services a voice, said: "Patient services are being cut, cut, cut. I dread to think what they're going to cut back in 2005."

Mr Bishop, 54, of Larkham Rise, Chippenham, suffered a nervous breakdown nearly five years ago and in 2000 he visited Rowden Hill House day hospital twice a week.

Patients who have been discharged from hospital can visit the day centre for support, occupational therapy or to talk to their qualified psychiatric nurse.

Mr Bishop used the day hospital for two years and praised the staff for the way they helped him, but now he says he fears for people who need the service in the future.

"They are not getting anywhere near as good a service as I was lucky enough to get," he said."With mental health problems medication does have a role to play but you need someone to talk to, to off load your fears and worries. We will lose all the one-to-one contact, just because of cutbacks.

"I feel if Rowden Hill House day hospital closes the people there are going to lose all of that trust they have built up with the staff. Voluntary staff do a wonderful job but they haven't got the qualifications.

"If the day hospital was to close in 2005 who will care for the elderly, mentally ill day patients and the younger patients who attend? And what about the carers of these patients. How would they cope without a break from caring for their loved ones? I want to see no more closures of any more day hospitals. I feel the trust is taking advantage of the voluntary sector by farming out the patients to that sector and getting it done on the cheap."

Carol Dixon, who suffers with mental health problems, went to the day hospital three times a week for seven years. She would get picked up from her Chippenham home and taken to the hospital, but due to cuts this stopped. She was forced to pay the £4 taxi fare from her benefits, which soon became too dear.

She said: "It would be a real shame if Rowden Hill House closed down and other people could not use it. It's so important to have that trust with people."

Carol's mum, Winifred, 70, who cares for her full-time, said: "It does them good to go to the day hospital and it gives the carers a vital break."