Helping an old lady
Sir: Your Notebook of 20 May carried a piece sharply criticising the inaction of the Holborn office of Camden's social services department. As you so rightly point out, it is only a few doors from your office and a telephone call or visit would have been illuminating, even though the true facts would have spoiled your story.
We have known and befriended this 'rather dotty woman', to whom you refer, over the past three years. You claim we took no action whatsoever yet she received practical weekly support (help with washing clothes and bathing, a hearing aid, a radio, draughtproofing, etc). If she elected to hoard newspapers, why not? Are all your drawers tidy?
You are sorry no cuts have been inflicted on our staff: grieve no more. Because of a cuts programme, the social worker team in Holborn is 83 per cent manned and they still cope with an ever-increasing workload (no overtime pay). But spare a little sympathy instead for those people in need who will have to wait that much longer before help comes.
Caroline Gladstone Communications Unit, London Borough of Camden Department of Social Services, 356-364 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1
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