Home visits threatened by budget cuts

Saturday 10th July 2004, 12:00AM BST.

HOME visits to vulnerable people by health visitors and care workers could be reduced by 13,000 next year if proposed budget cuts to Family Nursing and Home Care take place.

Director Karen Huchet has given that warning at a time when the organisation are trying to prevent Health and Social Services from cutting their grant in 2005 by £79,000.

So serious are the organisation’s concerns, that if they are unsuccessful in persuading senior health department staff to reconsider the cut, they may approach more States Members for support.

Ms Huchet said that the stance by the health department that such a cut would not directly affect patient care has been shown to be ill-founded in a review carried out internally of the cost of current services.

The organisation, which has 243 staff, had a budget this year of £6,184,189 with Health and Social Services giving them a grant of £4,977,170.

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