Date: 15 September 2006 18:20

HEALTH WATCHDOG BLASTS GOVERNMENT OVER HEALTH CUTS

The Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council's Health and Adult Social Care 
Scrutiny Committee has blasted the government for not intervening to stop 
cuts to mental health services in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.

After months of deliberation the Secretary of State for Health Patricia 
Hewitt has finally handed down her decision and announced that the 
Government will let the service reductions go ahead.

 He said: "I am appalled though not surprised that the Secretary of State is 
so indifferent both by the time she has taken to reply and what her reply 
consists of - when Mental Health Services for the vulnerable in our local 
community for young and the elderly will now have significant cuts made 
tothem - it is a very black day both for the users of this service but also 
local opinion and democracy."

The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee originally wrote to 
Patricia Hewitt in February to refer the service reductions put forward by 
Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trusts - the full 
County Council backed the call in a second letter in July.

The letters raised concern about the PCT proposals to cut nearly £3 million 
from the Mental Health Services budget - savings included cutting the young 
people's service, closing hospital beds and day centre services, 
amalgamation of teams providing care and support and more reliance on 
community-based provision.

In her reply, which arrived on September 8, Patricia Hewitt, says: My view 
is that the PCTs and the Trust should proceed with the proposals," and among 
the reasons she lists are:
* That the PCT proposals are consistent with the Mental Health National 
Service Framework
* I have reviewed the points set out in the detailed PCT rebuttal document, 
which I support
* The Strategic Health Authority support the PCT proposals
* An independent report by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health supported 
the PCT proposals
* The changes have already been partly implemented and no significant 
identified or reported adverse impacts on access to community services or 
increase to the number of out of area placements have been reported
* The PCT responded to the consultation by making a number of changes to 
their original proposals and this was acknowledged by the Scrutiny 
Committee.

Yours

John