Important press release issued today: There's more on the Norwich Conservative website.

Following yesterday’s public meeting at the UEA Sportspark about the future of Ellacombe in Thorpe Hamlet, Conservative candidate for Norwich Antony Little laid the questions that the NHS Mental Health Trust still need to answer:

Antony said: ”Nobody doubts the hard work of the staff at Ellacombe or the passion of the campaigners trying to save it. However, we do doubt the motives of the Mental Health Trust on some issues.”

Antony – who has been supporting Rita Steven’s campaign – added: “On the future of Ellacombe, the Mental Health Trust has previously said that they would back down on their closure plans if the public come out strongly against the plans. With a 2,000 name petition in North Walsham and a 1,700 name petition in Norwich, how much stronger must the public oppose these plans before they are shelved?”

The Norwich Conservatives are in the process of delivering around 20,000 petition slips on their leaflets arguing against the closure.

Antony said: “They must also answer the charge about deliberately running down the number of patients. If Ellacombe is still running as normal, why are people being turned away from it? We know people who cannot get a place at Ellacombe – to most people that looks like the Mental Health Trust is running it down. Will they now confirm that this is not the case and agree to look again at the cases of those who have been refused?”

Antony concluded: “Ellacombe is so precious to the staff, patients and carers – we will not give up on it without a fight.”