FACT - We are all living longer and as a result more people are developing mental health problems that require an appropriate standard of professional treatment and care. The longer we live - the bigger the problem will become.

FACT - Another one bites the dust! Redgrove House and Clent ward at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital are under threat of closure. This follows in the steps of the Lucy Baldwin unit based in Stourport.

It seems that the powers that be at the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust appear to regard the in-patient care for the elderly mentally infirm as expendable', and what could be seen as a budget cutting exercise, is written in the guise of a reconfiguration of services' consultative document, which proposes the closure of Redgrove House and Clent ward.

This will thus result in the significant loss of beds for the loved ones of families blighted by what can only be described as an utterly devastating and cruel illness, parallel to that of any physical impairment, which requires an appropriate equal standard of professional treatment and care.

I write this from painful personal experience of mental illness which has affected both of my parents in their latter years.

As my father's condition progressed the private care home, in which he resided, found it increasingly difficult to cope with his problems. They simply did not have sufficient staffing or staff qualified to cope with and treat his escalating condition.

Dad was, I feel, one of the lucky ones, who was ultimately transferred to Redgrove House.

Redgrove House is an excellent purpose built facility located on the site of the Princess of Wales, specifically for treatment of older people with advanced mental health problems.

There is always an appropriate number of staff who are qualified and competent to care for and treat patients, all of who have their individual problems and personal needs.

The staff are truly professional, are compassionate and consistent, ensuring their patients are treated with dignity and respect at all times. They are also extremely caring and comforting to the families of patients throughout an extremely difficult and painful time - which again from personal experience I feel is absolutely invaluable.

I strongly feel that the closure of Redgrove House will have a detrimental impact on the loved ones of families, resulting in a reliance on care in the community, which has only proved to be inconsistent and inadequate for the level of care that is needed. The only aspect that remained consistent was the rise in fees.

It seems only fair to ensure equality of provision of services across the NHS for older people with mental illnesses. However, sadly it appears that they are regarded as 'past their sell by date' and therefore not worth the financial investment.

Susan Harris and Stephanie Cooper Bromsgrove