Brain injury patients affected by loss of support service

A REPORT has been published which outlines residents’ experiences of the closure of a ‘Moving On Service’.

Most of the 42 users felt they had not been involved in the consultation process and that the closure of the service by Rochdale Council would have a negative impact on them.

The service, based in Middleton, provided support for individuals with acquired brain injuries such as a stroke or a brain haemorrhage.

In the report published by Healthwatch Rochdale, 86% said they had not been informed about the consultation process, while also talking about how the service had benefited them.

Kate Jones, Healthwatch Rochdale CEO, said: “It is the role of Healthwatch Rochdale to make sure everyone has their say on local health and care services and we always encourage providers to include people in changes to services. When we were contacted regarding the closure of the ‘Moving On Service’ it was our duty to make sure service users’ voices were heard by providers.

“We want to thank everyone who took the time to speak with us about their experience.”

Following the report, Healthwatch Rochdale made ten recommendations to Rochdale Adult Care, which responded by saying it will work with Healthwatch to make it aware of future public consultations and ensure individual needs are taken into account during future consultation processes.

Adult Care also confirmed there is a new offer for a service at Alkrington Day Centre. You can read the full report on the Healthwatch website.