Care home vote in line with board rules

I would like to counter the potentially damaging suggestion that the meeting of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) of Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership on March 23 was conducted in a way that might constitute the “democratic outrage” that has been claimed by Councillor Eric Drysdale.

The people of Perth and Kinross have a right to be assured that the important and difficult decision on the future of Parkdale and Beechgrove care homes was taken, as are all our decisions, in line with the standing orders that apply to the conduct of our business.

Councillor Drysdale’s complaint that the decision was taken without a vote is misleading because it implies that the decision was not properly approved. This was not the case. After a lengthy debate I sought approval from the members of the board for the recommendations set out in the report of the review of social care, which included the closure of Beechgrove. Of the seven vote-holding members present four approved the report and three chose to have their dissent recorded. The report was therefore approved.

All board members, including myself as chair, are governed by the board’s standing orders and these must be respected by everyone so that we can conduct our business in an open, transparent and fair manner.

To do otherwise is to do a disservice to fellow board members, the staff involved in developing and delivering integrated health and social care and, most importantly, the many individuals and families who rely on the services that are provided by Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership. Linda Dunion, Chair, Perth & Kinross IJB

Noendtocuts

The realities of the cuts from our UK Government then reflecting on the Scottish Government then in turn on our local authority have been unveiled.

Services require funding and it does not matter what political party you support. In the end it is all about the services you at some point in your life will depend on to support you.

Do you care or are you inconvenienced if the roads are not repaired, schools are not up to standard or people cannot afford a home?

For goodness sake look at what’s happening in England and despair, where local authorities are bankrupt and services are non-existent.

Do we really care about children living in poverty and local care homes being closed?

This is a brutal world, as the adverts for charities on the TV constantly inform us. The wealthy survive and prosper and the weakest are forgotten.

The reality is that, for all their fine pronouncements, the Tory administration in Perth and Kinross or indeed any political administration is a reflection of the idealistically fundingstrapped Tory government in parliament. Jim Ferguson, Feus Place, Perth