Erin Pizzey wades into Lynde House controversy (From This Is Local London)

Erin Pizzey wades into Lynde House controversy

11:54am Tuesday 2nd July 2002

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A member of the Friends and Relatives of Lynde House with a vital knowledge of the issue of domestic abuse, Erin Pizzey, the founder of Chiswick Women Aid (est 1971), an international organisation concerned about women subjected to domestic violence, has joined the critics of Lynde House.

Ms Pizzey, author of several books including Scream Quietly or the Neighbours will Hear, became involved with the Friends and Relatives of Lynde House as four years ago she was heavily involved with another of Westminster Health Care's nursing homes in Sevenoaks.

She said: "There was a wonderful woman there, Roz Ward who was the matron and I went and interviewed her. She had the brilliant idea of establishing a day centre upstairs at the home where the elderly and young interacted and many of the elderly worked in the playgroup in turn. It was the loveliest home. Roz Ward used to say, there are no such thing as bed sores in my home'.''

She said that this matron had then had the idea of setting up a similar home in Romania and established the organisation Care and Comfort in Romania, of which Erin Pizzey became a patron.

She said: I spoke to all the managers from Westminster Health Care at their last AGM before Chai Patel took over and they pledged to support this project.

When Chai Patel took over, this disbanded and Roz Ward left, although we are still raising funds for Care and Comfort in Romania. When Chai Patel took over I did think 'things are never going to be the same again'.''

She said that she has been living in Twickenham for the last five years and became involved with The Friends and Relatives of Lynde House after her friend Gillian Ward, who had a dear friend in the care of Lynde House, enlisted her support.

She said: I am still completely amazed at what was happening at that home just up the road. There is to be an inquest into the death of Maria Jackson on July 11th and I will be there at the coroners beside her friend and it will be a chance to ask some very serious questions. Whether domestic violence or elderly abuse, it is all part and parcel of the same thing.''

The letter from Mr Heywood printed in last week's edition, to which Ms Pizzey has responded this week, was with regard to the report by the independent investigator Mary McLaren who visited Lynde House following serious allegations by relatives and friends of elderly people in their care.

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