LETTER: Keep Peterborough services in central location

Stephen Pollard said: “It will only be a good deal, if services are retained in Peterborough.”

Ha! Let me tell you.

Recently a mental health patient had to find his way to a building in Wisbech for his medical assessment by Centra for a disablement benefit.

There were three pages or more of instructions on how to get there from his house.

It read like this:

‘Turn left from your house and walk to the corner. Turn left and walk 100 metres to the bus stop. Get off at Queensgate and go to bay.

‘Get off at Horseferry Meadow bus station and turn right. Walk 200 yards...’

The appointment had to be postponed until a member of mental health staff could take him, and by doing so, she had to postpone home visits for half a day to other patients.

On arriving at Wisbech, she could not find the building, and was not warned about the one way system, sending them round in circles.

Consequently they arrived late and the patient was vomiting on arrival.

How can a mental health patient be expected to go so far on their own, as it was clearly expected by the instructions?

Why do so many patients in Peterborough have to travel to a less central location?

You couldn’t invent it.

I imagine it is a case of the DWP commissioners putting out the service to tender, then having no control of how the company operates.

Oh yes, they monitor the service when it’s up and running.

It must be cheaper to rent an office in Wisbech than Peterborough.

All our office spaces are being converted into flats.

Why couldn’t the NHS do it and let them have the money?

It’s a wonder the council didn’t move the bus station information shop to Wisbech.

Martin Lightfoot - Gladstone Street, Peterborough