Is trust to be merged?

Published: 7 May, 2010

• IT is true that Islington is poorly represented on the board of governors of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (Can we rely on neighbours to fight mental health cuts? April 30). 
This may be because Islington service users have recognised how ineffective that body is. It has never had any success in holding the trust to account in regard to its services or in preventing the closure of the Lambo Day Centre, the only mental health facility in either borough exclusively for black people. 
Lambo has now fallen into the hands of Islington Mind, whose director, Peter Nevins, is an elected member of the trust’s board of governors.
Richard Bunting, vice-chair of the trust governors, stood as a candidate seeking an Islington Council seat and the fact that he has not opposed any of the cuts put forward by the trust shows how things may go if the Conservatives gained power yesterday.
Perhaps people know that the strong rumours that this trust is going to amalgamate with Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust mean there will be a different configuration and different governance arrangements soon and so there is little point in becoming a governor of a trust which will go out of business in the near future. 
At that point Islington service users may find they have an opportunity to influence policy or at least defend their services and begin to take part again.
LYNTON MCANDREW
Hanley Road
N4