A stroke survivor living here on the Island is making a final plea to the Isle of Wight Council to stop a ‘crucial’ support service being cut.
Jill Singleton, 62, said she could not imagine what it would be like to be discharged without any support from the Stroke Association, which currently holds the Island’s social care support contract.
Under budget proposals from the Isle of Wight Council, due to be discussed and decided on tonight (Wednesday), the contract would not be renewed when it runs out in June. It would save the cash-strapped council £70,000.
But Jill, who helps run stroke cafes across the Island, has said the support she received from the Stroke Association after her strokes in 2017 and 2018 was crucial to her recovery.
She said:
“If this stops it would be awful, catastrophic for Islanders who need this after their stroke. I had excellent care on the stroke unit and then by the stroke early support discharge team but when they discharge you, you can feel very lost and alone.
“The rehab team works seamlessly with the Stroke Association to ensure stroke patients get the best care possible to go forward on their recovery journey. I have had immense help, support and encouragement … it is a lifeline for those of us who have had strokes.”
At the cafes, Jill says they all became friends and can talk about anything, not just strokes, although people are there who understand their unique problems in tackling everyday life.
The Isle of Wight Council has justified the service cut by saying its services were already being provided by other groups and there would be no impact on the clinical support patients receive through the NHS or other partners.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it said a peer support network has been developed by stroke survivors and their families which is meeting needs.
Councillor Geoff Brodie has proposed in his alternative budget to stop the cut.
all the council need to do is make the parents of SEND kids pay for their own taxis to school instead of burdening the taxpayers with the cost of getting their kids, that they are responsible for to school – that will save £1 million a year and then £70k can easily be reallocated from this saving to people who actually need it.
So we’re just leaving parents of children with additional needs to fend for themselves? Maybe we could start taxing corperations and oil companies rather than taking it our on people that are already struggling.
You must be familiar with wighter and his alter-ego “truth” by now, Sam
To him kids are scum. Their parents are scum. Immigrants are scum. Anyone not white and British is scum.
But convicted rapists? They are fine (as long as they are white, British and of a similar extreme right persuasion to him.
tripped yourself up their smiffy and are guilty of over reach in your comments
please demonstrate any message that has been put up, where I have made reference to skin colour – you won’t be able to, because I haven’t – very sloppy commenting smiffy – typical lefty, making things up as usual and full of hate, when you claim to be so understanding and inclusive.
I find it somewhat hypocritical of the lefty do gooders, that they preach inclusivity, fairness and equality, but are not willing to accept narratives that do not conform to their own. In other words, you only agree to inclusivity, fairness and equality on your terms.
yes sam – they should pay their way in life, not expect the rest of us, who didn’t bring them into the world, to carry them – they are not my kids, so I am not willing to fund their taxis from the taxes I am made to pay against my will.
and as for taxing corporations and oil companies – all you end up doing is paying more at the pump for your fuel, more for your cars and more for everything these companies supply – do not forget, they have staff that need paying and why should investors/traders and entrepreneurs see their hard won cash, be taken and handed to spongers.
perhaps the parents should get a job or heaven forbid, drive the child to school in their own car
fed up with sponging, do gooders
All this council are interested in is grabbing council tax, and building more and more housing. They also don’t care about local people who need vital services to survive, all they are interested in is keeping the 2nd homeowners and holidaymakers happy. Bob Seeley our ever quiet sausage muncher is very quiet on this too, but then again he is a tory and would gladly see everything in private ownership.
Cash strapped council… really? just read about the amount they have had come from Government, plus what about all the wasted money the council spends on buildings, upgrades etc,, then says oh lets close the toilets… obvious no one needs toilets, just converting mine indoors to a bedroom for some council benefit person.. stuck an outhouse outside, simple lol
As is so often the case these days, support and treatment is being withdrawn because of cost. What price the health of the family who suddenly have to care for granny on top of work and parenting roles? It seems that once we reach retirement age or develop a long term problem it is no longer economically viable to spend the money we paid in, on us. Geoff Brodie will try his utmost to get the councillors to change their minds but I’m very doubtful. Councillors remember _ it might be you needing support after a stroke one day, then you will realise what you have done.
Top councillors will have private health care and private education for their children so could not care less about the plebs.
Clearly it is the young wasters who take so much money from our council tax, either by vandalising everything, or by needing extra help due to drugs, drink issues, all costly and ‘their fault’.
This young low life should be given the minimum and places like the Foyer in Ryde and all the houses of multiple occupancy should be sold to private developers and the low life and weird should be housed in Fairway caravan park, or other rough areas and given the very minimum to exist on.
Great plan.
They won’t be have time to vandalise stuff because they will be too busy burgling houses, shoplifting and mugging people to supplement that “minimum to live on”.
And they will get away with it because there aren’t enough police to do anything about it.
giving them free money and free housing to prevent them stealing isn’t a solution and is the typical response of someone who panders to the deadbeats.
surely smiffy, you should be at some kumbaya singing, hand holding workshop by now and not putting up messages on here.
the solution is – you tell them that there is a society, jobs and a future to be had, if they apply theirselves – if not- there is a park bench to sleep on, a gutter to live in and poverty, as well as jail cells awaiting them.
The council are not the only ones with gaps in their finances so do what the rest of us got to do cut back as we just can’t go and grab more money like the council do I feel we’re being robbed on this island .
council needs a good overhaul independently to see where savings can be made, which if announced would be very interesting indeed instead of just saying right up council tax goes without being scrutinise
People need to wake up and smell the coffee.
The Isle of Wight Council is, by no means, the only council in dire financial straits. 75% are raising their CT by the full 5%, and they are from all political colours.
This isn’t an issue with local Government. It’s an issue with central Government. They cut the funding they gave local councils for services like this (and Bob Seely voted for those cuts) and expected the local councils to pay for them themselves.
the government needs to remove the excess money put into the system due to covid/lockdowns etc – this will be done by using taxation levers, such as NI, income tax, council tax and all the other taxes that are levied, cuts to benefits etc.
the use of “cost push inflation” is in full effect – every penny the gas and electricity go up, the government gets more money – which helps drain the excess out of the system.
why is this happening – because we risk an inflationary spiral if we don’t – everyone has no choice but to reduce the expectations of their standard of life as we go through this economic cycle. (unless, like me, you have cash stacked up from the good years)
this is just getting started -there is far more pain to come