Parents fear loss of support for disabled children

3 hours ago

Adrian Harms,

Julia Gregoryand

Patrick Barlow,South East

News image — Charlie, whose son Harry uses a support centre for disabled children, says she fears he will lose sessions with specialist therapists when the service's contract ends

Julia Gregory A mother and her son sat on the sofa. The mother is wearing glasses and holding her son in her arms. He is looking away from the camera. — Charlie, whose son Harry uses a support centre for disabled children, says she fears he will lose sessions with specialist therapists when the service's contract ends

Children with disabilities could be negatively affected by a reduction in services from a Surrey centre when its contract ends, parents say.

White Lodge Centre in Chertsey helps more than 1,000 children and adults with disabilities, and their families, but contracts for paediatric services it provides are due to end when a new provider takes over in April.

Parents of children who use the service say they worry the end of the contract will mean facing a "huge struggle" to replace sessions they are losing.

A spokesperson for NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), said it was "working closely with clinical teams to ensure a safe and carefully managed transition."

Charlie, whose three-and-a-half-year-old son Harry has severe brain damage and uses White Lodge, says: "Harry is definitely progressing and doing really well there.

"My concern is how this is going to affect him. It has taken a lot to get him where he is now, and if you take that away from him it will make life even harder."

Hollie, whose son also uses the services, added: "They are going to suffer. This should be being invested in, not taken away."

White Lodge Centre was set up in 1962 and has provided paediatric services such as occupational therapy and speech therapy under a contract with Surrey Heartlands for about 20 years, according Jane Hunter from the centre.

Google A building with circular white signs at the entrace which reads "White Lodge" in Red writing. — White Lodge Centre near Chertsey

From April, the centre will stop offering these services, which will instead be contracted to HCRG Care Group.

Changes will affect about 50 families across Surrey with children up to five years old, Hunter said.

For Harry, Charlie says, this means he will go from receiving sessions once a week to once every four to six weeks.

A spokesperson for NHS Surrey Heartlands says it "remains committed to meeting the needs of our population".

They say: "From 1 April children will continue to receive the specialist therapy they need, and we are working closely with clinical teams to ensure a safe and carefully managed transition to the new provider with minimal disruption for families."

A HCRG spokesperson says it provides services across Surrey for families with complex neurodevelopmental conditions and "will continue to support them, along with families who will be new to our services".

They added: "Our clinical team has already been in contact with the families who will begin using our existing services,

"Everyone will know where their child needs to be for appointments with us, well in advance of their first appointment, and we'll do everything we can to minimise any disruption."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.