Next Gen News

Woodland View and Birch Avenue care homes in Sheffield provide care to some of the city's most vulnerable people with dementia, many of whom have chronic symptoms.

"The PCT is putting cost ahead of quality here. Pretending otherwise is smoke and mirrors," says Sue Harding, spokeswoman for the Save My Home campaign, whose mother is a resident at Birch Avenue. "Our case is the first of many across the country. We are told that none of this NHS reorganisation will affect frontline services. Yet here we have a proposed funding cut that's impacting two frontline services  and a lot of vulnerable people."

In January, the PCT announced its intention to withdraw the top-up funding, arguing that the residents at Woodland View and Birch Avenue could be treated for half the cost at "other care homes" in Sheffield, the majority of which are run by private providers.

The experience of residents and their families contradicts the PCT's claims that the needs of Woodland View and Birch Avenue patients can be met elsewhere. "There is a high staff to patient ratio, and a low turnover of staff, so a relationship of care is established," says Dr Jill Manji, a Nottingham GP whose aunt is a resident at Woodland View.