Hull MP slams lack of consultation on day centre closures

Diana Johnson MP has called for Lib Dem councillors to explain directly to elderly users of Orchard Park's George Ashton Centre why they plan to close their day centre.

Hull City Council is looking at closing 7 out of the 10 centres that look after disabled and special needs adults, along with elderly people, during the day. The move seeks to save the Hull City Council around £1.7 million.

Following her own visit to George Ashton Day Centre last Friday (28 January) to speak to service users and their carers, the Hull North MP has written to Hull's Lead Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Equalities accusing the Council of inadequate consultation on plans to close the George Ashton Centre.

With the Council only promising one to one meetings between Council officers and service users, the Hull North MP is also demanding that Hull's Lead Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Equalities meets service users at the Day Centre.

Hull's Lib Dem Council Leader met with around 25 people, mainly family and carers of service users, on Tuesday night (1 February). However, this meeting was held at a time of day that made it very difficult for many day centre users and their carers to attend. Only 30 minutes was allowed for questions.

Diana Johnson MP said: "Hull's recent experience shows that plans to shut day centres used by elderly residents, including many who are frail and vulnerable, need to be handled with great care. We need genuine consultation with service users, and those who care for them, and a willingness to manage change at a gradual pace.

"I am appalled that this is not happening with these plans for a quick and damaging 70% cut in the number of day centres in Hull. When I visited the George Ashton Day Centre last Friday, I was told that no Cabinet councillor had visited that day centre to discuss the closure plans with those who use it.

"I appreciate that the cuts to local government funding from this Lib Dem-backed Government are especially deep in Hull. As a result the Council's plans clearly involve a diminished service and will mean service users having to travel further to access whatever service remains.

"Existing service users are also worried that remaining day centres will be over-crowded and that many existing users will be reassessed as no longer eligible for the service.

"The danger is that cutting day centres will only result in a larger bill for residential care as some day centre users will not cope living independently without access to their day centre.

"I understand that the Council Leader is saying that these are only proposals for consultation, but it appears that they are considering no alternative options and this so-called consultation ends on 4 February. It is also a deception to pretend that this process is about improving services for the most vulnerable when it is clearly driven by Coalition Government cuts."

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