Cuts to falls prevention service trigger Healthwatch ‘gagging’ row

Suspended Healthwatch director Terry Stewart. Photograph: courtesy Terry Stewart / free for use by LDRS partners

The axing of Hackney’s falls prevention service has ignited controversy at the heart of the borough’s Healthwatch branch, where a director was suspended for allegedly “attacking” the organisation in public for backing the cuts.

Terry Stewart, who is also a governor of Homerton hospital, was “stood down” from his board position last month after he criticised Healthwatch’s executive director, Sally Beaven, for supporting the council’s decision to scrap the ‘Staying Steady’ programme.

The service has been described by many as vital for the elderly community, and the move was met with concern and outrage from charities and campaigners who argue it will lead to more injuries and hospital admissions.

At a meeting of Age UK’s Older People’s Reference Group (OPRG) on 19 March, Stewart is understood to have publicly defended the prevention service and lambasted the Healthwatch leadership for supporting the cuts in an earlier council meeting, “against the wishes” of members.

Healthwatch chair, Deborah Cohen, called Stewart’s words a “completely unacceptable” attack on the statutory body and its leader.

Cohen told Stewart his behaviour was “highly damaging” to the organisation and in breach of its code of conduct, leading to Stewart’s immediate suspension, pending an investigation.

But the long-time health campaigner and board member insists he is being “gagged” simply for challenging the service cut.

Speaking to the Citizen, Stewart said: “It wasn’t a personal attack on [Ms Beaven]. It was raising issues in the strongest possible terms to say that what she was saying did not represent our organisation, and in fact we were diametrically opposed to the decision she took publicly,” he said.

“After all, we’re a Healthwatch organisation, so if the watchers are not watching the health, we have nothing.”

Erstwhile board member, Malcolm Alexander, who is also a governor at Homerton Hospital, said his former colleague had been “condemned without investigation”.

He told the Citizen: “[Terry] was promoting the very thing Healthwatch was set up to do.

“I was sitting next to him when he made his speech, which was certainly very angry about the way that Healthwatch had operated,” he said.

“But mostly he was asking why was it that Healthwatch was not promoting the falls prevention service – a service which saves lives and prevents people from suffering from fractures and ending up in hospital for weeks.”

Alexander alleged there was a pattern of people being removed from the board for disagreeing with the leadership – including himself.

“It’s a culture in the organisation – if you don’t agree with the chair and the
chief executive, they sack you,” he said.

He added that two-time Hackney civic mayor, Saleem Siddiqui, was also “thrown out” of Healthwatch “for no good reason”.

“The organisation is supposed to be there to defend our services and to keep them open and thriving. How can we be silenced as board members when we’re actually there to specifically raise the standards and quality of services and access to them?”

Ms Cohen told the Citizen: “Whilst we cannot comment on individuals due to confidentiality rules, I can confirm that Healthwatch Hackney holds all our staff and directors to the very highest standards of behaviour and respect, as laid out in our code of conduct.

“If the behaviour of any members of our board or staff team falls below that standard we take the appropriate action.

“Our role in shaping services and service pathways is to gather and amplify patient and resident voices, to support statutory services in their decision making.

“We are currently engaging with residents to gather evidence that the NHS and public health can draw on, as they shape the falls prevention pathway in City and Hackney.”