Sully flare-up (From Penarth Times)

Sully flare-up

THE SULLY Asylum seekers row has prompted an angry war of words between two leading health experts.

Cardiff Patients Council co-ordinator John Evans and Sully Health Facility Campaign's Robin Williams are locked in a fierce debate.

This week, Mr Evans has hit out at what he describes as Mr Williams' "latest attack". The Sully man wrote to the Penarth Times stating his reasoning behind a call to reopen the Grade II listed building for mental health services.

He said: "Obviously, the Sully Health Campaign group are of the old school that feel mental health patients are an embarrassment that should be hidden away.

"Community mental health services are an essential part of treatment and can be imp-roved and expended to cater fully for the health needs of the vast majority of patients. And this is the right wanted by most of the patients we represent."

Mr Evans says that battling for a premises that was never designed for mental health purposes is a waste of effort.

He said with proper community help and funding, patients with mental health issues can be kept away from hospitals altogether.

"If Robin Williams and his group spent their time fighting for increased funding for Mental Health Services, it would be far more use," he said.

"As for attacking the decision to refurbish Whitchurch Hospital, those comments seem to be born of spite and frustration."