Steve Norris and Tottenham Conservatives condemn Haringey Council's Social Services Scrutiny Panel over failure to help local day hospitals 30/03/04

Local Conservatives have condemned the refusal of Haringey Council’s Social Services Scrutiny Panel to refer the closure of the Borough’s day hospitals to the Health Secretary.  Toby Boutle, who represented Tottenham Conservatives at the meeting on 18th March, accused Haringey Council and the Scrutiny Committee of "betraying local people who relied on those crucial services”.

In September 2003, the local Mental Health Trust closed the Canning Crescent and St. Ann's day hospitals, without consultation of users or the groups representing them.  Responding to the outrage of patients, the Conservatives and other concerned groups, Haringey Councillor Taki Sulaiman, (Labour Executive Member responsible for Social Services and Health) issued a promise to the local news media that the Council would stop the closure taking place.  This announcement was greeted with jubilation by the press, the users and their supporters.

Less than two weeks later, the hospitals were closed.

Alternative provision was then supposed to have been set up.  In 2002 the Mental Health Trust commissioned the Ramsey Report, which recommended that two services—Assertive Outreach and Crisis Intervention—should complement the work of the Day Hospitals.  The Trust then claimed that these supplementary services were replacements for the hospitals.

"At the moment, whether they are replacements or not is unimportant," said Toby Boutle.  "Because even these services have not started up properly. This means that for six months, most of the Day Hospital patients have had no specialised care at all.  It is an appalling failure."

According to figures obtained by the Campaign to Reopen Haringey Day Hospitals, the Assertive Outreach team has 32 clients out of a target of 150.  It was promised that the Crisis Intervention team would target 70 clients.  To date it has none. Also guaranteed were 12 acute day places.  Again, six months later there is no sign of them.  "They promised no gap," says Peter Sartori of the Campaign. "But there are next to no services at all.  The whole thing has been and is being completely misrepresented."

When asked when users could expect the promised provision, the Trust’s representative would only say he was “quite hopeful it would appear soon”.

The Mental Health Trust, and Cllr Sulaiman, categorically refused to answer the users' questions about why and by whom the services were closed.  Haringey’s Social Services Scrutiny Panel refused demands by Conservatives and local campaigners to refer the closure to the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid.

Lydia Rivlin, Chairman of Tottenham Conservatives, said:

“Throughout, the Trust has acted in secrecy and has failed to keep its most basic promises.    This has done considerable damage.  We need an investigation into the failings of the Mental Health Trust.
They have shown complete contempt towards the users' Groups, the Press and the people of Haringey generally."

Steve Norris, Conservative Candidate for London Mayor, has shown a personal interest in the campaign and has given it his support:

"The Campaign to Re-open Haringey Day Hospitals has put forward a compelling case.  I am glad to see that local Conservatives are continuing to work closely with the effort to restore this vital service."

ENDS.