MP Russell Brown backs DPPG on ITV 6pm News

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 – Orginal Source
Breaking News  Weds 21^st June.    On ITV Border News Russell Brown MP backs the DPPG efforts to reverse the Feb 2^nd D&G Council closure decision. Reports of 15^th June (see press clippings) reveal the attempted retrospective ‘consultation’ five months after the decision is indeed nothing but a sham.  D&G Council and NHS D&G Board Chief Executives have yet to reply to DPPG families’ invitation to meet and discuss the total breakdown of all trust.  Many formal and justified complaints to D&G Council & NHS about this matter and actions of those involved remain unacknowledged and unanswered, outwith the rules of procedure.  Whilst very worryingly a Cllr has said that making such complaints “would not keep Dunmuir Park open”, seemingly trying to deny our right to properly complain about actions the families believe are ultra vires.  In early May families offered and suggested mediation, but are still waiting for a reply.  Another leading Cllr is trying to get all involved around the table and establish a common agenda.   The 25 min BBC Radio Scotland ‘Action Scotland’ programme about the campaign to save the Dunmuir Park ‘model of care’ was broadcast on June 7th & 11^th.  Present Ofcom rules do not allow us to put this file on the DPPG site for download as a ‘podcast’, but a CD copy can be obtained from BBC Radio Scotland or DPPG.  This programme has raised serious national issues and highlighted the apparently confused position of Enable Scotland, set up as a charity and dedicated to protect the rights of individuals.  DPPG has asked Enable Scotland to not only clarify what we say appears to be a “two faced” position but also to retract and correct statements made live immediately after the broadcast on June 7^th.

In particular DPPG requested on 8^th June that  Enable Scotland makes it unambiguously clear, as the Minister has done, that Dunmuir Park as a homely supported residential setting, (indeed it is a Care Commission Registered Care Home) is not to be compared with or regarded as the same as an “institution” or a “hospital closure” as the interviews did by uncorrected association, and also that Dunmuir Park is not required to be closed as a matter of Enable Scotland or any other ‘National’ policy or “policy steer”, so resulting in the loss of the complete Dunmuir Park ‘model of care’.

Also that it is emphatically NOT one of the two or three remaining “inappropriate hostels” in Scotland, which were needlessly mentioned in the interviews by an Enable Scotland Director with the implication left hanging unanswered.

Also specifically that Dunmuir Park is not required to be closed by the ‘Same as You’, as the Minister has done, and that Enable Scotland does not support such closure given the lack of prior consultation and being against the express wishes of all the many service users, future service users and their families.  Also that retrospective “consultation” is not possible whist a flawed closure decision stands creating even more corrosive uncertainty and damaging health.