Health Chief slams Labour social care cuts

11.30.43am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 25th May 2007

Lib Dems backed local people marching against Labour's cuts to care services

In an unprecedented move the Chief Executive of the NHS in Lambeth has slammed Labour's cuts to care services in the borough and pleaded with them to reverse their decision.

Kevin Barton, head of Lambeth Primary Care Trust, has written personally to Derrick Anderson, Chief Executive of Lambeth Council asking him to reconsider the proposed changes which would see home care restricted to only the most critical cases and charges more than doubling.

"If these changes were to be implemented Lambeth would be setting an unwelcome precedent across London with the level of increases in charges, the introduction of charges for previously free services and a substantial change in eligibility criteria. This would make it one of only 2 London boroughs proposing such changes and put it well out of line with our neighbouring boroughs," he has written.

"These changes are likely to affect some of Lambeth's most vulnerable client groups who, following assessment, may have services withdrawn if they do not have 'critical' need and many service users who have substantial need will be unable to carry out their activities of daily living, becoming more and more reliant on family or other informal carers who may already be under considerable strain, thereby increasing the risk of carer breakdown and subsequent avoidable admission to hospital or another care institution."

And, he says, that the ability to improve services and attract "a committed and loyal workforce as a result of the report could be jeopardised if these proposed changes were to be implemented."

The PCT letter follows a massive protest against the cuts by elderly, disabled and other vulnerable users of the services, and their carers culminating in a mass march and demonstration at the Town Hall. The Council's budget-setting meeting had to be suspended when furious protesters forced their way into the Council Chamber. Following hours of impassioned and reasoned argument by Liberal Democrat councillors, Labour voted the cuts through to the dismay and astonishment of all those concerned at the consequences.

Lib Dem leader Cllr Ashley Lumsden commented this week: "Labour would not listen to local vulnerable users and their carers. Maybe they will listen to local health service experts. But, whatever, they should immediately reverse these cruel and damaging cuts they have pushed through. Liberal Democrats led the opposition to the cuts in the Town Hall and were backed by the protests outside the Town Hall - we continue to campaign against them."

Mr Barton's letter accompanies a detailed response to Lambeth's plans, stating that the PCT "strongly disagrees" that the changes are a fair and appropriate way to meet the growing demand for services.

The response includes the following statements:

• The immediate impact is likely to be the withdrawal of services to those users assessed as in substantial need. Many of these services users require this care to maintain their independence and allow them to remain at home. Withdrawal of care may reduce independence, increase the care burden on informal carers (if there are any) with the likely result of increased carer stress or complete carer breakdown, increasing the risk of avoidable admission to hospital or other care institution.

• The condition of many of these service users may deteriorate resulting in them meeting the critical criteria sooner which would result in less cost savings as a result of this proposal. There is also likely to be an impact on other community services such as those provided by the PCT, where patients are currently appropriately referred to social care when health interventions are complete.

• These transfers of care are likely to be delayed, patients will remain or be referred to health care providers in the absence of social care input and the PCT will not have the capacity to meet unmet social need that may occur as a result of these proposals.

• This proposal affects our most vulnerable service users, many of whom are isolated with little family support, as well as hard to reach groups that both health and social care organisations have tried to target.

• There is the risk of an increase in the incidence of adult abuse due to a change in the criteria of assessing risk, lack of engagement with care services and increase in carer stress that is known to increase the risk of abuse