| * Dear Mr. Craker, 13 members of Barnet Lesbian and Gay Group (BLaGG) discussed the following important issue involving financial changes in the PCT budget. All 13 present, plus another who contacted later, are of the following opinions which we 14 request you consider and reply to at this address.
* Barnet Lesbian and Gay Group (BLaGG) is a registered charity, working within the local Barnet community, holding meetings every week within the borough. We have received information that Barnet PCT are proposing to move £45,000, received from central funding for hiv/aids care and prevention to purposes other than hiv/aids. * If this is the case the main concern is that the budget for gay mens’ services, and others who need the same or similar services, is to be unfairly and disproportionately reduced. This is unacceptable and will make life more difficult for gay men and others living in Barnet who need to access HIV health promotion. * Barnet PCT need to acknowledge that gay men are a high risk group and require appropriately targeted services. We would add that young people generally need similar services to those of gay men as current lifestyles are constantly needing updating of the risks involved in meeting those who may not know they are infected. * Gay men have high levels of clinic attendance primarily because there has been a focus on quality HIV prevention and health promotion services to gay men throughout UK. Are these same services to be provided for all young people, whatever their sexual orientation? * Reductions in spending now are a false economy. Often short term savings lead to long term costs. Reducing the HIV health promotion budget by 50% now may lead to an increase in future costs of treatments as people will not be receiving safe sex messages. * Barnet has calculated its budget cuts by considering the number of people receiving HIV treatment in Barnet. It does not seem to have taken into account the fact that at least a third of people living with HIV in London are unaware of their status. (sigmaresearch.org.uk and others). This has huge consequences in terms of people who may live in Barnet but are unaware of their HIV status. There is a clear need for HIV health promotion to encourage people to get tested and reduce transmission. * We understand that Barnet PCT is legally obliged to consult the public over changes to service provision. In this case we have not seen evidence that the PCT has done so adequately. We, at BLaGG, now put to you two points for resolution - for our local community in general and for young people and gay men in particular: * A clear needs assessment of HIV health promotion in Barnet AND * public consultation over HIV health promotion funding. Further information about our group and our charity status are always available to you and the public. We are now informing all our members of this communication which will be placed on our website www.barnetgay.com and we will continue to gather support for a re-consideration of your proposals. Yours sincerely, Rob de Nazar (webmaster of Barnetgay.com) 25 April 2006 Postal address and tel can be provided to Barnet PCT |
| Barnetgay.com |
| Letter to Barnet PCT - Primary Care Trust |
| Readers are invited to contact admin and add more voices to our requests for * clear needs assessment of HIV health promotion in Barnet * public consultation over HIV health promotion funding. |