‘Find the money yourselves if you want to save Finsbury Health Centre’

Published: 8 October, 2010
by TERRY MESSENGER

“FIND the money yourselves” – this was the message from the NHS to campaigners battling for the future of run-down Finsbury Health Centre, which needs repairs worth up to £9million.

The Save Finsbury Health Centre campaign, comprising users and staff, met last Thursday and agreed to set up a working party to plan the formation of a trust.

Campaigners hope the trust will guide the development of the centre, renowned worldwide for its architectural and historical significance.

NHS officials responded by saying: “We haven’t got the money to make it work – therefore the trust would have to find [it].”

On Friday morning a spokesman for NHS Islington said: “If there is an organisation, a trust or a group who want to come together with a proposal which makes sense, financially and in terms of health provision, we would be delighted.”

The spokesman added that the NHS would be pleased to accept all the cash needed or any contribution the trust could raise. 

Barbara Jacobson, chairwoman of the campaign, said that if NHS Islington “wants to work with us to raise money for the refurbishment, we’d love to work with them.”

But she said the health off­icials had to prove their long-term commitment to the ­centre first.

NHS Islington wanted to move health services out of the centre in Pine Street, some into a new building, and only abandoned the plan after cash was withdrawn in Coalition austerity measures.

Officials believe it is too expensive to refurbish the centre, which was designed by modernist Berthold Lubetkin in the 1930s as a beacon of hope and progress for impoverished communities like Finsbury.

They argue that building materials required to conform to regulations for the listed building are too costly. Now they say there is neither the money for a new building nor the refurbishment project required for the old.

The spokesman for NHS Islington, formerly known as the Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: “We haven’t got an option but to keep Finsbury Health Centre going for the time being. We’ll deliver the services and look after the building.”

Ms Jacobson said: “We will help find the money if the PCT will work with us on keeping services there. We’re not interested in finding money for some other project. 

“You could read what the PCT is saying as we’ll look for charitable funding but we’re not going to promise that services will be retained there. We are slightly suspicious.

“There’s enough money floating around in the City. There may be benefactors who would be interested.”

The campaign estimates refurbishment costs at £5million, and NHS Islington putting the figure at £9million.

If both sides are going to work together, they will have to overcome bitter divisions. 

Ms Jacobson said: “The PCT has been completely lacking in imagination in dealing with this and is totally inflexible.”

She hopes that money will be found to re-create Lubetkin’s original dream: “Nothing’s too good for ordinary people.”

Addressing the meeting at Exmouth Market Church Hall with Barbara Jacobson were architect John Allan, lawyer Richard Stein and Dr Jacky Davis of the Keep Our NHS Public Campaign.