Pool loses substantial funds

The Peterborough City Council-run facility in Dogsthorpe Road has lost the entirety of its £10,000 funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Tracy Dowling, chief officer at the CCG, said: “Taking into account our current financial situation, the high volume of people self-funding without a GP referral, and that there is no clinical policy in place, the CCG has ultimately taken the decision not to contribute to the funding of the hydrotherapy pool, and not to commission the service for GP referrals.”

The CCG will consider funding patients in exceptional circumstances.

The council is looking to decrease its £20,000 budget for St George’s to zero from 2019/20 when it believes it will be at worst breaking even.

Adrian Chapman, service director with responsibility for adult services and communities at the council, said new services at St George’s including physiotherapy sessions had increased its income.

He added “We are not reliant upon the CCG’s funding to ensure the hydrotherapy pool can continue operating.”

The council had planned to shut the hydrotherapy pool in 2014 due to budget cuts. However, over 3,000 people signed a petition to keep the facility open, prompting a U-turn by the cabinet.