FUNDING for Scotland's oldest Aids charity has been dropped by health
boards in Strathclyde region.
Scottish Aids Monitor has been told that funding of more than #190,000
will go to the newly-formed Project for HIV and Aids Care and Education
(PHACE West) after growing concerns about SAM's west coast service.
All four health boards in Strathclyde -- Greater Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Argyll and Clyde, and Ayrshire and Arran -- switched funding because of
a lack of west coast personnel on SAM's boards.
However, Scottish Aids Monitor say this was not a criterion for
funding and that it is approaching people from the west to sit as board
members.
PHACE West sent unconditional job offers to the private addresses of
SAM staff and letters to its volunteers.
Three former workers with Scottish Aids Monitor have joined the new
organisation, which will begin operating on April 1. Because of the loss
of funding, two SAM employees have been made redundant.
Dr Linda MacCallum, who chairs the SAM board, said: ''This new
organisation has never provided any services for people affected by HIV
and Aids, has never held a public meeting, never openly consulted
service users.''
A spokeswoman for Greater Glasgow Health Board said: ''It was a
unanimous decision by all four health boards. They felt the services
they wanted to provide needed a clearer West of Scotland focus than SAM
was able to provide.''
A spokesperson for PHASE West was unavailable for comment.
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