“Since that time the General Practitioners have been holding their surgeries in the former St John’s Home, but Community Services continue to be delivered from the original building in Pound Lane. These services include podiatry, dentistry, adult mental health services, social care and mental health services for older people and a range of clinics including continence clinic and physiotherapy. All of these are vital services and clinics are provided for the local population. [caption id="attachment_24860" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Councillor Colin McGrath has lent his support to the South Eastern Trust's call for vandalism to stop at the Pound Lane Clinic in Downpatrick."][/caption] “Over recent weeks and months the building has been under attack from vandals. On a weekly basis there is an average of two windows in the building broken which has on occasions led to the cancellations of clinics as the clinical rooms were not able to be used until the windows were repaired or made safe. “While on the face of it these breakages may appear minor, they do affect patients and clients using the building due to the cancellation of clinics, this also adds unnecessary expenditure which can be utilised elsewhere. “It is planned that services in Pound Lane will be moving to another location but in the meantime, the Trust would ask the local population for their support in trying to stop vandalism of a much needed resource.” Down District Councillor Colin McGrath said, “I am unhappy that vandalism is taking place anywhere in Downpatrick least so at a building that is used for providing community services.
Trust Seeks Support To Stop Pound Lane Vandalism
“Vandals are quick to think that attacking a building such as this is without consequence – but the money to do the repairs comes from the taxpayer and in the difficult financial times we live in that means critical funding being diverted from front-line service provision budgets.
“If this situation persists I shall be calling the PSNI and Health Trust together to determine ways to prevent this vandalism from continuing.”
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