Secrecy over our services

Published: 1 September, 2011

• IF it were left to the Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust none of the important changes in the mental health services taking place in the borough would ever become public.

They rely on secret documents and consultations and we have to rely on the New Journal to reveal these secrets (August 14).

This organisation operates with unhealthy secrecy.

It closed two hospitals with the loss of nearly 100 beds and then went on to arrange the sale of St Luke’s Hospital.

In all these it promised that community services would improve and that no staff would be lost.

The latest secret document gives the lie to this. Services are to be closed and staff losses will take place.

The eventual outcome is likely to be a repeat of one of the past tragedies such as Christopher Clunes or Anthony Hardy.

Then the question as always will be: “How did this happen?” The answer will be all too simple. Cut after cut was made and there were no support services left.

SHEILA LAWS
Lawn Road, NW3