West End Extra - Letters: Hard hearted

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 31 August 2007

‘Hard-hearted’ approach to elderly care is home truth

• DESPITE Councillor Angela Harvey’s protestations about the appalling way in which elderly residents of Macintosh House have been treated by the council, the facts speak for themselves (Letters, August 17 and 24).
Residents were consulted by the council and their overwhelming message to Councillor Harvey was that they wanted to stay in their homes, despite being told that their accommodation was “below standard”. Residents also undertook their own investigations and estimated that, if “modernisation” was needed, it could be done relatively cheaply and would allow residents to stay in their homes. Since the council announced its plans to move residents out three Macintosh House residents have sadly passed away.
Now, the council has told elderly residents of Bridgefield House in Queensway, Bayswater, that they, too, have to leave their homes because their homes are “below standard”. This time no consultation has taken place and even if there had been, going on the experience of Macintosh House residents, whatever residents say will be ignored by the council.
But are Bridgefield House residents really being moved out because their flats are “below standard”? In the same breath the council also says that it needs the Bridgefield House flats in order to provide for families. This is the same Conservative Council which was quite happy to sell off family flats at knock-down prices not so long ago in the notorious ‘Homes for Votes’ scandal in which the council’s current leader played a role. Now the council is buying back some of these flats for up to 20 times more than they sold them for. So much for Westminster Conservatives’ claims of financial prudence!
Westminster has the second-largest proportion of older people in inner London.
There are more than 2,700 residents over 85 years of age in Westminster. Based on the experience of elderly residents of Macintosh House and Bridgefield House, Westminster Conservatives care little for the future or the welfare of those who are entitled to a great deal more than the hard-hearted and shameful treatment they are currently receiving.
CLLR PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Leader of the Labour Group
Westminster City Council, City Hall, Victoria Street

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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