Issue - meetings

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

RECEIVED a deputation on the Council’s proposals to merge the Haynes and Grange Dementia Day Care Centres and to close the Woodside Day Care Centre, presented by Mary Harvey (a carer at the Haynes Centre).

The deputation’s main points included:

• The merging of the Haynes and the Grange specialist day centres would overcrowd facilities and reduce the quality of life for the current client.
• NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance recommended a maximum of 16 people a day tom maintain a reasonable atmosphere at day care centres. The Haynes had a design capacity of 15 people per day but there were currently approximately 80 people with dementia using the 3 care centres.
• The closure of Woodside Centre would mean a reduced standard of care to current day centre users.
• The proposed re-provision with personal budgets would mean care at home which would lead to isolation.
• The proposals would mean short term savings resulting in long term costs as the care centres provided preventative services.
• The deputation had taken part in consultations about the proposals and had written to the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services making the above points.
• The Committee was asked to recommend maintaining the care of people with dementia and request alternative proposals are sought to achieve the required savings.

In response to questions from the Committee the deputation confirmed that the proposals presented potential for additional pressures on the health services.  This included the Mental Health Trust, GPs, the NHS trust and the cost of medication for both carers (whose heath was vulnerable) and additional medication for service users (who might be affected by the changes).

The Deputee agreed to provide the Chair with estimated figures of the financial impact of the merge of the Haynes and Grange Dementia Day Care Centres and to close the Woodside Day Care Centre, and a copy of the letter from the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services responding to the concerns of the Relatives Support Group (Action No. 247.1).  

RESOLVED

i.     That the Chair would write to the Cabinet Member reiterating the concerns of the Committee regarding  proposed closures of day care centres and to request a full response to the concerns expressed by the deputation; and

ii.    That the proposals for closure of the Council’s older people’s care centres would be considered by the Committee using pre-decision scrutiny powers (Action No. 247.2).