West End Extra - Letters: Macintosh House scandal: Did we get the story wrong?

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 24 August 2007

Macintosh House scandal: Did we get the story wrong?

• YOUR report last week on Macintosh House was full of inaccuracies (MP to probe OAP eviction, August 17).
As I explained in the letter which appeared in the same paper as your report, our primary concern has always been to offer residents the best standard of accommodation possible and Macintosh House does not provide this.
The decision to decommission Macintosh House was taken following the advice of independent experts that the facilities do not meet the high standard we now expect to offer our residents in need of sheltered accommodation.
Your article completely confused the report last week by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights and the decommissioning of Macintosh House. The report relates to care homes for older people, while Macintosh House is accommodation for older people living independently and is not a care home. It must also be remembered residents at Macintosh House have the same rights as all council tenants in Westminster, whether young or old, to new accommodation.
Contrary to suggestions in your report, Westminster City Council has been helping residents in making their decisions to choose new sheltered accommodation for many months now.
We have worked sympathetically and tirelessly to help the residents of Macintosh House through this difficult time for them and into new accommodation which is not only of a higher quality but suits their needs better. Most residents have been content with the outcome.
The council has done all it can to meet their needs and we will continue to assist the remaining residents, of whom there are now just three, into new homes which meet a much higher standard than Macintosh House.
Your article also appears to deliberately imply that the death of three residents was caused by the decision to decommission Macintosh House.
This is utterly untrue and without foundation.
Your reporter was also given a thorough explanation for the decision not to renew the TV licence and remove certain items, but failed to accurately report this.
There is nothing to stop residents using televisions in their own rooms and we have offered to help those eligible for concessionary licences to get them.
Our Every Older Person Matters agenda aims to provide residents with accommodation and facilities which help them to live healthy, fulfilling and independent lives, and that is why the money raised from surrendering the Macintosh lease early is ring-fenced to improve accommodation in our other sheltered housing.
When your paper is provided with accurate information by Westminster City Council I would hope this would be reflected in articles.
CLLR ANGELA HARVEY
Cabinet Member for Housing, Westminster City Council

• Editor’s note:
IN response to Councillor AngelaHarvey's letter of complaint following last week’s article on Macintosh House, we simply reported that three residents have died since consultation on the move began as a matter of fact.
The statement relates to concerns raised by a spokesman from Age Concern concerning the high mortality rates of old people that are moved out of their homes.
It is true that the council employed independent experts to assess the condition of Macintosh House – but no experts were employed to assess the health of the individuals living in the building and the danger the move might pose to them.
On the issue of the TV licence, we reported that the council had cancelled it. They had in fact decided not to renew the licence for the common room because they did not feel it was worth the money.

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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