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Camden New Journal - By TOM FOOT
Published: 27 December 2007

Reprieve for health centre

Six month extension for drop-in clinic

A PSYCHIATRIC centre in Fitzrovia has won a stay of execution following a legal challenge from its users.
The Tottenham Mews Walk-In Centre will remain open for at least six months after the Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust accepted they had breached regulations in announcing its closure without consultation.
The trust in August told service-users the “drop in” facility was to be axed this autumn in a scramble to plug a £11 million funding black hole.
But after legal ace Richard Stein, a former Camden councillor, sent a stern letter warning of a breach in rules of closure, the trust has backtracked.
Jason Roberts, a service-user who was preparing to fight the decision in the High Court, said: “This is a victory for vulnerable people, but the battle is not over. The care trust are naïve to think that I won’t take them to court if I haven’t.
“Walk-in users believe that the recent consultation was a sham to avoid a court case.”
Chief executive Wendy Wallace said: “We listened very carefully to what people said and that is why we are not proposing to close the centre until next June, to give us time to work with users and make sure their needs are met.
“Despite the public support shown for the centre, it is currently seeing 15 or fewer people a day and we have to look into the cost-effectiveness of all our services.”
Tottenham Mews is regarded as the “jewel in the crown” of the mental health care in central London because of its unique facility.
Patients, when feeling down, can simply drop-in unannounced and receive professional advice and counselling from a team of psychiatrists.
Mr Roberts said he had discovered documents showing more than 300 people were on the centre’s books. But a spokeswoman for the trust said just 35 regularly attended.
Mr Roberts said: “The reason that attendance is currently low is that the centre has been systematically run down by erratic and limited opening times, telling people to go elsewhere like coffee shops and by advertising its October closure, but not its continuation.
He added: “The trust has been forced to concede that they cannot walk over the rights of users.
“The people behind these decisions need to behave less like corporate fat cats.”

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