DAY Care provision for elderly mentally frail patients in Alton has been saved – at least for another year. Fears for The Limes Day Centre at Alton Community Hospital were triggered last summer when Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) decided to terminate its contract with Hampshire County Council Adult Services as from March 31. The PCT told HCC that it was no longer able to provide the service and would not be tendering for the business from April 1 – provision of social rather than health care is no longer considered a core business for the PCT. But Age Concern Hampshire has now signed a contract to take over from the PCT as the service provider for both The Limes in Alton and the Chase Day Centre in Bordon. It has also been confirmed that the PCT has agreed to continue funding the service on a shared basis with HCC until the end of March 2009. And that it will allow Age Concern to rent the same premises (The Limes and The Chase) from the NHS until that date. In a statement this week, it is further confirmed that HCC has entered into a new contract with Brendon Care to continue to provide 50 day care placements for elderly physically frail at the Mary Rose Day Centre in Alton. The new contract will give a year's reprieve to allow HCC Adult Services (responsible for social care) to decide on how to provide the service in the future. The news has come as a relief to East Hants Lib Dem parliamentary candidate and county councillor Adam Carew who has been working closely with patients' families and local residents to help save the centres. He told The Herald: "This is fantastic news. I have had a number of patients' families contact me and we have all been extremely concerned about the future of The Limes in Alton and Chase Day Centre in Bordon. I am delighted at the result. "I had a grandmother with senile dementia and I know first hand that these day centres are a lifeline for elderly mentally frail patients and the families that care for them. We can all breathe a huge sigh of relief that Age Concern has stepped in to save them." Alton county councillor Tony Ludlow added: "I am delighted negotiations have proved successful. When I was chair of the Primary Care Trust I saw the enormous value of day centre services to the clients and their carers and have always been tremendously impressed by the dedication of the staff who work in them." However, securing the service has come at a cost and Hampshire County Council has had to make compromises. As from April 1 The Limes will be operating on a Tuesday and Thursday each week (instead of Monday, Wednesday and Friday), but with an increase in the number of placements each day. This will bring the number of places available each week down from 30 (10 for 3 days) to 28 (14 places for two days). There will be no changes at The Chase or at the Mary Rose. It is not a situation that pleases Adam Carew: "The loss of two placements per week at The Limes is of concern but HCC has a duty of care towards elderly mentally frail people and I am told officers will be doing all they can to make alternative arrangements. "This is a critical service, particularly for carers, some of whom will be devastated to lose a third day of provision in the week when they desperately need the respite." HCC executive member for adult services, Felicity Hindson said: "We will be working closely with the PCT and Age Concern to ensure the takeover is smooth for service users, their carers and staff. Every effort will be made to limit disruption for service users and their carers by ensuring that friendship groups remain together where possible. "This is really good news for older people in East Hampshire, the day service they receive is continuing under a very experienced and professional provider in Age Concern Hampshire. "I welcome the County Council, PCT and voluntary sector all working in partnership together to make sure service users continue to have access to quality services." Mr Carew said there has already been one hiccup: "It seems that while patients and carers have been informed of the changes, staff and volunteers have not." While it has already been confirmed that existing permanent staff will transfer over to the new provider, Mr Carew described this lack of communication as "disgraceful", especially as the staff were not able to speak up for themselves, and he urged the county council to rectify the matter.
