Medway's mental health unit is set to close after councillors failed to put a stop to the controversial proposal.

From December, patients will have to move out of "A Block", based at Medway Maritime Hospital, after health secretary Jeremy Hunt gave the go-ahead for the department to shut.

Medway councillors had referred the proposal to Mr Hunt after accusing the NHS of trying to "disregard and dismiss" patients' concerns.

The Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) said it needs to close the 35-bed block because it is badly outdated.

But Cllr Wendy Purdy (Con), vice-chairman of a joint committee that raised concerns over the plan, said the move would be bad for mental health patients in Medway.

Speaking after the decision was announced yesterday, she said: "I'm very angry about it. We are a big area of deprivation with a big mental health problem, so we shouldn't be taking our services away.

"We are a big area of deprivation with a big mental health problem, so we shouldn't be taking our services away..." - Cllr Wendy Purdy

"I have talked to many people with mental health problems and we need to keep our services in Medway for them and their families.

"It is a burden for families if they have to travel outside of Medway. It is vital it stays in Medway and I will continue to fight for that by lobbying MPs and the government."

The Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) claim it will improve services for users.

It plans to open "centres of excellence" at existing wards in Dartford, Maidstone and Canterbury, increasing the number of beds from 160 to 174.

Angela McNab, chief executive of KMPT, said: "We are very pleased to have the backing of the Health Secretary for this plan. This will ensure that everyone who needs inpatient mental health crisis care in Kent and Medway receives it in modern, fit for purpose accommodation designed to meet their needs and promote recovery.

"We now plan to implement the changes and we anticipate patients will start to move out of one of the wards in A Block in December.

"We have drawn up a transport plan for service users and carers affected by the move and will ensure they can access volunteer transport."

The father of a service user, who warned people could die if the block closes, has said he is "gutted" by the news.

Brian Clark, whose daughter suffers from mental health problems, said the closure would cause patients and families to struggle.

Mr Clark, 71, said: "I'm gutted and really upset. This is not a political thing. The people in Kent are going to suffer, particularly the most vulnerable people, and they deserve better.

"My daughter has been in Maidstone recently and in just over a week I did 600 miles and I'm a pensioner. People in Medway, Sheppey and Sittingbourne will end up travelling to Dartford and trying to get there on public transport is not easy.

"Imagine people in their 60s and 70s queuing at the bus stop at night to get home - they just won't do it and part of the mental health rehabilitation is family and friends coming to see you."

Less than a month ago, KMPT said they had spent more than £2million on private beds outside of the county in the first six months of the year - compared to £1.5m for the previous 12 months.

Mr Clark added: "I think KMPT are deplorable. They keep talking about 174 beds, but that is not enough.

"They are spending millions of pounds in beds out of the county because there is not enough space. This is nothing to gloat about. I will continue to fight this."