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Cuts to social funds need to be discussed
• MANY thanks to the CNJ for once again casting some light on a hidden corner of Camden life.
Thank goodness we have a newspaper that can bring these matters into the open.
Following my letter last week, and your article (‘Mentally-ill patients to be released early’), it is clear to me that this is a classic case of the buck being passed, where no-one will take responsibility.
Mental health services get their money from two sources – one is for social care (day centres and other community support), and comes from the council. The rest (the bigger chunk of money) comes from the NHS via the Primary Care Trust.
There are two council nominees who, with other members of the board, are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s budget, as non-executive directors on the Trust's Board.
They are Cllr Martin Davies and Cllr Jane Schopflin. In my view, it should have been their responsibility to ensure proper discussion was held before the cuts proposals went into last week’s Trust budget paper.
In particular, when there are cuts on the social care side (the Council’s money), they should ensure that these show up clearly in the Council’s budget process. When the council plans 2.5 and five per cent “workforce remodelling”, much time and effort is taken to illustrate what this will mean to local residents.
Why are mental health service users not treated with the same respect?
CLLR PENNY ABRAHAM(Lab)
Bloomsbury ward
• ONCE again a cut in co mmunity service provision is accompanied by the claim that a certain number of millions of pounds “will be saved” as a result.
Saved for whom, I wonder. Whose bank account will benefit?
The directors of these services never seem to suffer any cutback in their six figure salaries, that’s for sure.
One obvious way of maintaining their salaries at several times the national average wage level is to get rid of basic grade staff that actually deliver a service. These directors not only possess degrees in business management they also seem to have picked up masters degrees in dissimulation as they try to convince us that “less means better”.
They are paid good money to serve the public interest and if they fail to satisfy the reasonable expectation of the public they should be made to go.
To be coolly informed that local mental health services are to be cut (March 22) at a time when billions of pounds can be found to fund war on Iraq and Afghanistan is beyond belief.
We badly need to inject reality into our politics and make “care more, kill less” our basic slogan.
BOB COTTINGHAM
Pembroke Road, N10
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