I'm really concerned to hear that Communicate is threatened with closure (in 
its current form as a specialist regional centre) for what appears to be cost 
saving reasons.

From what I understand the North East Regional Specialised Services 
Commissioning Group (NESCG) , NORSCORE (NESCG Core Commissioning Group) 
and Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust (NTW) confirmed on April 24th 
that Communicate is to be "reconfigured" from an interdisciplinary Allied Health 
Profession service offering Regional Specialist Communication Aid Services to a 
predominantly Clinical Engineering service running an equipment pool.

The money saved from cutting staff posts will go towards increasing the size 
of the “regional equipment pool” that has been run by Communicate since 
1983. This is despite the need for specialist assessment being recognised by 
Government and the fact that new money is shortly to be released to 
establish and strengthen regional provision of communication aids.  The 
Communicate Visiting Assessment Service Team also helps borrowers to 
identify the most appropriate equipment for local assessment and equipment 
trials and this support will also be lost. This appears to be a classic 
misunderstanding by commissioners that value comes from supplying 
equipment rather than the assessment and support service that makes that 
equipment relevant and sustained within people's lives.

The closure plan goes directly against all Government policy, guidance and 
intent for provision of communication aid services, eg. “Better 
Communication”, and ignores the opportunities for “Pathfinder funding” or 
government grants via BECTa which aim to stabilize and improve regional 
specialist communication aid services.

Given that communication technology is the area of greatest under-
investment across all asisstive technology service delivery and the recent 
recognition of the need for support for communication disabled children this 
appears to be unjustifiable. I am also concerned that guidance on patient and 
public involvement is not being complied with as I am unaware of the decision 
being based on consultation with current service users.

SCOPE is leading a campaign by the The Communication Trust to get the 
closure process stopped and the decision reversed.

If you are concerned about this closure and feel you can lend some support to 
the campaign to get a more transparent decision making process and a more 
sensible outcome, please contact:

Marc Bush
Head of Public Policy
Policy & Campaigns Department
Scope

Phone: +44 (0)207 619 7254
Fax: +44 (0)207 619 7190
Email:  [log in to unmask]

Cheers.

Keren Down
Director
Foundation for Assistive Technology (FAST)