Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, has expressed his concerns, following the announcement by Cheshire East Council that it will stop respite care at Hollins View community support centre in Macclesfield, at the end of the year.
Following the announcement, David said, "I am disappointed in the way that Cheshire East Council has handled this latest announcement. When it is dealing with a service that is trusted by many local residents and by so many vulnerable people, the Council should do a better job at explaining how it believes its proposed plans will provide a better service for patients and carers, as well as benefit the tax payer.
“I have asked the Council to provide greater clarity on its proposed approach. If there is a better alternative, the Council needs to show clearly how it has worked in Congleton and in other local authorities nearby. Over the last few months, this has not happened. It is vital that the alternatives are clearly set out for patients and their families. They need to have greater confidence in the types of services and accommodation that would be made available to them.
“Having visited Hollins View on several occasions, I know how dedicated the staff at Hollins View are and I will also be asking the Council for clarity on the support that will be made available to the hardworking staff, following this latest announcement, in the months ahead.
“I have also spoken to John Wilbraham, Chief Executive at East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs Macclesfield Hospital, to find out more about its plans for intermediate care in and around Macclesfield. I hope that it will be possible to find a future for Hollins View that fits with the needs of local health services going forward.”