Consultations on the future of Favell House and cutting foot care may have to start again if councillors vote in favour at a meeting this week.
Sally Beardsworth (Lib Dem, Kingsthorpe) has called in for scrutiny two controversial NHS reviews on podiatry and respite services, which have been heavily criticised by patients, carers and MPs for allegedly leaving the public little chance to have their views heard.
The Health, Adult Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee will now discuss the issue on Thursday after which councillors can officially ask NHS Nene to redo the consultations.
The committee ultimately has the power to refer the matter for judicial review if it is unhappy with the process.
Michael Ellis, the MP for Northampton North, has also written to Health Minister Norman Lamb, alleging the Favell House consultation is “a sham”.
Councillor Beardsworth said: “At the last public meeting on Favell House, I was asked to call in both consultations, and as a councillor I have to listen to the people.”
The podiatry consultation asks whether low-risk foot conditions, such as when people are in pain but with no underlying health condition, should be paid for by patients themselves.
The Favell House consultation asks whether the flagship respite facility in Northampton, for those with conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, should be closed and its budget spent on respite care across the county.
Councillor Beardsworth said: “People feel the podiatry consultation is a fait accompli. The NHS seems to be giving two options; change or the status quo. However, at the same time they’re saying the status quo is unaffordable.
“It ought to be about choices, put people are not getting a real choice here.”
She added: “The Favell House consultation included wrong contact details and the meetings were held at a times and venues that severely disabled people found difficult to attend.
“If interested people can’t have their say, it is not a consultation.”
The scrutiny committee meeting starts at 10am on Thursday at County Hall.
Any member of the public wishing to speak must contact the council at least 24 hours in advance on Northampton 366053.
Favell House
NHS Nene says the only respite care for people in Northamptonshire with neuro-degenerative conditions is at Favell House, which it says “currently provides respite through the provision of 10 beds”.
It proposes to provide personal budgets to those needing residential respite care in Northamptonshire, which would allow residents to choose where, and from whom, they receive the service.
However, charities and carers argue that the money would be useless as there are not enough respite places in the county to cater for all those with neuro-degenerative conditions who need it.
They also argue patients would be placed in general care homes alongside, for example, dementia patients. That is vastly different from Favell House, where specialist expert care is given.
Carers have expressed annoyance that consultation information included a mistyped telephone number that people were invited to call to give their views. And a public meeting at Francis Crick House, Moulton Park, which carers claimed was difficult for disabled people to access and held at time a when many interested parties would be at work.
The NHS has now scheduled an additional meeting for Wednesday at 6pm at Bevan House, Kettering.
To attend call Northampton 651744. Attendance is on a first come, first served basis.
Podiatry
NHS bosses propose to change the way low, medium and high-risk patients needing foot treatments are cared for.
It proposes that many low-risk patients fund their own treatment in future, as current budgets are unsustainable.
But campaigners worry that conditions in children, which are currently low risk, will escalate if parents cannot afford treatment. They argue this would saddle the NHS with large future bills for treatments that could have been avoided.