|
|
 |
| |
Patients’ lifeline a second home to countless people
• THE Highgate Centre has been a very important part of local mental health services for over 30 years (Patient ‘lifeline’ at risk from fund cuts, September 27).
The building, which we assume the Liberal Democrat /Tory administration wants to flog off as soon as possible, was purpose-built and has provided a “second home” for countless mentally ill people over the years.
Cllr David Abrahams, chair of health scrutiny, makes a worrying mistake in your article, attributing this cut to the health service.
No, this is part of a 7.5 per cent cut required by the council from the social care of mentally ill people.
Naturally the Labour group are pleased to hear that he will be “looking very closely at this”, but surprised he has fallen into the trap of blurring the lines between health and social care, as so many do (see my letter a few months ago on this subject).
This confusion has been used on many occasions as a handy way of denying responsibility.
There are some powerful echoes of the Jamestown saga in all this.
In 2005, the Labour administration was told, in graphic detail, by leading Liberal Democrat councillors such as Jill Fraser (then Mayor of Camden) that “the fear is that closure of the centre (Jamestown) could result in a very real tragedy”.
It seems tat the same rules do not apply when the Lib.Dems. are in power. Indeed the current administration went ahead with the closure of Jamestown centre despite all their protestations in the past.
A two-thirds cut to the budget of Highgate Centre is as good as a closure. Let’s see if any crocodile tears get shed this time.
CLLR PENNY ABRAHAM
Labour, Bloomsbury
Great record of helping
• IT is to be regretted that the Highgate Day Centre in Highgate Road, Kentish Town, is currently under threat of eventual closure if nothing is done to stop cuts being made to the tune of £190,000.
This will, of course, mean clients and ex-service-users losing out on therapeutic services which are so badly needed.
Without such a service, may people who use the centre would suffer in their daily lives.
In the short-term, people would go backwards, with admissions into isolation hospital. Camden has the highest of suicide rates and this is very concerning.
The Highgate Day Centre is a very well-run therapeutic day service with a great track record of helping and assisting individuals back to normal independent living via counselling and group work.
D CLIFFORD
Maitland Park Road, NW3
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
