Learning Disability Partnership dissolved amid debt acrimony

A Learning Disability Partnership (LDP) between Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB is to be dissolved amid a row over unpaid debt.

Cllr Richard Howitt (c) Cambridgeshire County Council

Cllr Richard Howitt (c) Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire County Council said the LDP would be dissolved from 1 April and called for local health partners to fully share information about arrangements for NHS funded support to ensure continuity of care.

Adults and health committee chair, Cllr Richard Howitt, said: ‘We want to reassure the people that rely on council services and their families, that our priority is to ensure care and support for those people with a learning disability continues without disruption. We have a plan in place and our teams are fully funded. People will continue to receive the support they need.'

Cllr Howitt said there remained ‘an unresolved dispute over historical debt owed to the council'.

He added: ‘To prevent unnecessary escalation, I call on the ICB to work with us to resolve this debt before the need for mediation, so we can move forward in a spirit of cooperation and prioritise those who rely on these services.'

The council has claimed it is owed £10m by the NHS.

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB said the ending of the LDP and the debt were two separate matters and disputed the amount of debt quoted.

A spokesperson said: ‘Our priority is the ongoing provision of care for service users to meet their individual healthcare needs and ensuring a smooth transition for service users and their families and carers.'

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