Pioneering health project is ‘falling apart’

A special Traveller Health Service, which promised to help Gypsies and Travellers in the rural West Midlands, is failing, claim insiders.

Herefordshire Traveller Health Service was set up with around £1m “to address the serious inequalities in health,” according to Herefordshire Council's website.

The Service promised “to help and advise on many aspects of providing care and support”. The Service even offered a special hotline help number: 01568 617318.

But Travellers who call the hotline get no help. A purpose-built ‘health bus’ is parked up and going nowhere. And, despite promises, ‘special outreach clinics’ for local Travelling people are not happening.

People calling the hotline receive messages saying: “This office is closed because of understaffing". Later the message was changed to: "This number is no longer available.” The special health service, which once boasted a part time doctor, a mobile clinic and other specialists, is now believed to be operating with only one secretary.

A spokesman from the local Travellers Support Group said they were inundated with pleas for health help from Travelling people who could not access the service. “Suddenly our group is having to pick up the pieces. For example we have a young Irish Traveller who has run away from home and is pregnant and she has no resources."

A health worker told TTOnline: “The service is virtually closed down, staff have left in disgust, and the need is not being covered. It all started to fall apart two years ago.”

But a spokeswoman for Herefordshire PCT insisted the service was still operational and “mid wives and school nurses” were available. The team leader, she said, had left and a new one would be in post by October.

“This was a valued service and it’s just been pulled without warning,” said Hereford’s Traveller Support Group spokesman. “We’re worried that one of the most disadvantaged communities in health terms can be treated in this way.”