THE closure of a special clinic for patients with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia has been ordered to go to formal consultation, three weeks after the unit shut down.

Although the clinic closed at the beginning of the month and is being replaced with an out-patients and day care centre, the East Lancashire Health Authority has decided to start a four month consultation process.

This was welcomed by health campaigners. Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council chairman Frank Clifford said the trust was in too big a hurry to close the six-bed unit at High Meadows, Reedley.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted that the message has finally got through. This clinic was trumpeted as a new, innovative, unique and humane way of delivering the service. They spent a lot of money on it including going to a planning appeal.

"I supported them and now three years down the line I cannot accept that they don't think it is clinically a good idea.''

Coun Clifford added: "It has been driven by the need to save money. If they think this consultation is just a paperwork exercise they had better think again.'' The health authority was told at a meeting in Nelson yesterday that the removal of the six beds in-patient service amounted to a substantial variation in service and that formal consultation should therefore take place.

Those beds were particularly needed for patients from outside East Lancashire who had to travel greater distances.

Outside health authorities had, with one exception, reduced their service level agreements causing Burnley Trust a significant financially problem. Income had fallen from £298,000 in 1997/98 to a projected £98,000 this financial year. Coun Clifford said this was through a lack of proper marketing.

Bev Humphrey, director of strategic planning and com- missioning, said that High Meadows cost £380,000 a year to run.

The out-patient and day care service at Gannow Lane Resource Centre, Burnley, would provide day care and therapy sessions four mornings a week with out-patient appointments all day Wednesday. A multi-disciplinary team would provide a service costing £94,000 a year.

The decision to close High Meadows was defended by Burnley Health Care chief executive David Chew who that health authorities outside of East Lancashire were not referring patients to Burnley because they had found alternative services more local to their patients.

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