A health watchdog has officially demanded a halt to the review of a Northampton respite centre’s future.
NHS Nene proposes to close Favell House and instead give people with illnesses, such as Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, ‘personal budgets’ to spend on rest stays at a nursing home.
But Northamptonshire Healthwatch said it was far from convinced that decent quality respite care could be provided across the county if the specialist flagship respite centre, which is in Spinney Hill, closes. It has now referred the matter to Northamptonshire County Council’s overview and scrutiny committee.
William Pope, Northamptonshire Healthwatch chairman, said: “We believe it is an inadequate process and we want them to pause.
“We are not convinced about the argument for personal budgets. The reality is people can only spend the money on services that exist and are of the right standard and we believe those services have not been identified.”
Respite care is considered vital to the 70,000 carers in Northamptonshire as it can help prevent stress and illness that may result from their 24-hour caring role.
Northampton North MP Michael Ellis, who has criticised the NHS’s public consultation on the respite proposal for “asking leading questions”, said he had met Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who informed him he was also looking into the matter.
He said: “All the way through, people wanting to have their say have been hampered by this so-called consultation. They should cancel it now.”