Delay is a stay of
Mirin and Milldale day centre campaigners say fight will go on while axe decision is paused
Parents have said they are “at the end of their tether with worry” as they continue to fight a controversial proposal to merge two day services for vulnerable people in Renfrewshire.
A final decision on the suggested amalgamation of the Mirin and Milldale centres for adults with learning disabilities and autism is on the back-burner for now after the integration joint board (IJB) meeting on Friday.
Helen McAleer, 71, whose 50-year-old daughter Amanda attends the latter at the On-X Linwood, referred to the state of play as a “stay of execution” as she conceded it remains a “worrying time” for carers.
Voting members of the IJB – responsible for oversight of Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) – could not come to an agreement on how to proceed as they discussed the issue at the end of last week.
Councillor Jacqueline Cameron, an SNP representative for Johnstone South and Elderslie, moved that a potential merger be “rejected” and the status quo maintained amid a “social care crisis” and “impending implementation of the National Care Service bill”.
However, Margaret Kerr, a non-executive representative of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, put forward an amendment requesting that a “fully-informed decision” be made at a later date once the IJB has considered the “complete findings” of the HSCP’s engagement work.
A vote resulted in a 4-4 deadlock meaning neither passed and the matter will either be continued to a later meeting or go to a dispute resolution.
Meanwhile, in the background, the proposal is the subject of a petition for judicial review.