What waste

Published: 3 June, 2010

• TOM Foot is to be applauded for the report showing how the Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust proposes to waste some £35,000 of public money on rebranding itself.

This particular organisation is posturing as if it were a multi-national when, in foundation trust terms, it is actually a minnow.  

It provides mental health services for only two boroughs whereas most of the London trusts, including the neighbouring Central & North Western have much larger catchment areas. C&I’s real worry is that it is just too small for the business it is in and will be taken over, quite likely in the current review of NHS structures.

Instead of seeking to improve services, the board of directors is running around rearranging the deckchairs as the Titanic sinks with ever more grandiose plans to try to persuade people that it must stay afloat.  

It is becoming increasingly obvious that those running it are just not any good at what they do.  

The public’s watchdogs in the board of governors either cannot or will not hold the directors to account.

It is strongly rumoured that C&I will merge with Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust to form a larger north west London mental health trust.  

All we can hope is that when that happens, it is the BEH board and not the C&I board which takes the lead on managing the new organisation.

DANNY BLOOM
Tollington Park Road, N4