Category Archives: Health

Carers Bromley, the local charity, has lost its funding from Bromley Council. It needs this funding to support unpaid carers in Bromley. The charity has been operating for 26 years and supported 5,500 carers of all ages in 2016/7, including some as young as 4 years old.

A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a friend, neighbour or relative who could not manage otherwise because of frailty, illness or disability.

Most carers would still not recognise themselves under the term ‘carer’, they are just people trying to cope as best they can whilst helping to look after a relative or friend who is frail, ill or disabled. They may even be juggling paid work with their unpaid caring responsibilities at home or they may be a young carer aged 4-18 years who is also having to attend school.

Carers Bromley give practical support and information to carers in the London Borough of Bromley.

Jane Palmer, a carer for her disabled husband, said “the decision by the Council is beyond comprehension. All the expertise that Carers Bromley has will be lost. We don’t know what will happen next. Carers are very upset.”

The future of the service now hangs in the balance and the organisation is planning ways to try to survive in order to continue to offer much needed support to carers in Bromley.

Personal Note from Lionel Sawkins: In the last decade of the life of my late wife, Maureen, I was given invaluable support by Carers Bromley. Their social workers guided me through the minefield of getting Attendance Allowance, and they provided trained nurses to stay in the house on two occasions so I could go for a holiday for a few days. Carers Bromley were my lifeline in those days, and I am in disbelief that the Council have discontinued their funding. Some of the money frittered on cosmetic changes to footpaths in Beckenham could have been better spent, surely?

 If you want to sign the petition to call on Bromley Council to restore Carers Bromley funding, here is the link: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/carers-bromley

Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are holding two patient and public awareness events on the Mental Capacity Act.  The dates are as follows:

 ·   18 November – 6:00pm – 7:30pm – Beckenham Beacon, Harry Lyne Room

·   8 December – 09:30am – 11:00am – Beckenham Beacon, Meeting Room C

The Mental Capacity Act is about empowering people to make their own decisions and also how they can make their own wishes known and respected, if they are no longer able to consent for themselves.

These could be people who may have more permanent issues related to capacity such as dementia, learning disabilities, had a stroke, brain injuries  and people who may have more temporary issues related to capacity due to mental health problems or other illnesses.

Bromley CCG has a responsibility to ensure that they commission services that offer high levels of quality and treatment.  A fundamental element of the commissioning process is that providers understand the Act, apply it to daily practice, have mechanisms in place to monitor their compliance and can demonstrate that the Act is embedded throughout the organisation.

If you would like to attend this event, please register here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHPZL6P