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Blame the bureaucrats
• DAY centres and organisations like Islington Borough User Group (IBUG) are more than one person or their managements (Betrayal of vulnerable, July 18).
Users of Ashley Road, some of whom are also members of IBUG, have campaigned tirelessly against the proposal to move us to Despard Road. An overwhelming majority of IBUG members have opposed the proposal too.
Staff at Ashley Road have been there for users, who are distressed by this process. A large part of the problem was caused by the way council bureaucrats handled the “consultation” of service users, rather than the alleged behaviour of Peter Jones, chairman of IBUG. I think Deepak Patel should have talked to service users before making this allegation.
The council didn’t allow more than one service user on the initial panel that prepared the proposal, despite requests by service users to have more than one.
ROSS SPECTERMAN
King Square estate, EC1
• DEEPAK Patel’s letter is not really fair to Peter Jones, chairman of IBUG. He has done a great deal for service users over the years and many say there would be no IBUG without him. He receives the poor reward of only just over £5,000 a year.
Who can be surprised that he needs to please Islington Council, which funds IBUG, and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, which provides free office space at Highgate Mental Health Centre?
To do this he must be seen to go along with their proposals even if he does not feel in conscience he should. He is squeezed between the priorities for service users and keeping IBUG in existence and sometimes he may have to say things which he would rather not say.
D BROWN
Hanley Road, N4
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