REDBRIDGE: No cuts to children's services in health budget (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

REDBRIDGE: No cuts to children's services in health budget

4:09pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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THE health service has confirmed there will be no reduction in funds to children’s services in this year’s budget.

Members of Interface, a support group run by and for parents of disabled children, feared cuts could be made to services such as physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.

And while it has been confirmed services for disabled children will not suffer funding reductions, they are also not to receive an increase.

Parents have said facilities are below standard and their children’s needs are not being met, meaning the service needs major investment.

Mary Busk, an Interface member whose nine-year-old son is severely autistic, said: “We know from what we have heard from other parents and professionals that other boroughs have much higher levels of investment in therapies.

“We also know that other boroughs have much nicer and better premises than we have, with well resourced multidisciplinary working.”

She added anecdotal evidence had shown no other boroughs were suffering as much as Redbridge.

A spokeswoman for NHS Redbridge said: “There is no reduction in the overall health budget for Children’s Services.

“NHS Redbridge, like other public sector bodies is not exempt from the wider financial challenges, and we need to deliver a balanced budget each year.”

But she added there was “scope for securing better value for the resources put in across some areas”.

The spokeswoman said a number of services were to be reviewed across 2010.

This could mean funding for disabled children’s services is still in danger of suffering cutbacks.