Springboard will be saved

With the economic gloom, good news is rare – but following yet another meeting with Kingston’s NHS Primary Care Trust (KPCT), I can report that most of the day care services provided by Springboard will be saved – and in some cases improved.

If you’ve not followed the saga, let me explain. Springboard is a local NHS service based at Tolworth Hospital that provides employment and training for people recovering from mental health problems and people with learning disabilities.

A year ago, Springboard looked set to close, with no replacement, as Kingston’s NHS hit a budget crisis. I set up a Local Action Group to find an alternative, and Kingston Council forced KPCT to consult. My group found an independent consultant, and a few of us spent many hours researching options.

Gradually, our idea to use the voluntary sector to provide these care services, if the NHS refused to, took shape. I’m especially grateful to Fircroft Trust, Kingston Voluntary Action and Kingston Mind - all now part of the solution.

However, only last week – after the KPCT Board had decided to end NHS provision of Springboard’s services – was I certain that KPCT will provide enough finance, sufficient monitoring and proper transitional planning, to make a voluntary sector approach viable.

Some finer details must be quickly finalised, as any remaining uncertainty is not good for Springboard’s users. Yet with the PCT agreeing a new contingency fund of £50,000, additional to £100,000 of funding unavailable last year, these care services can now be re-provided.