Council refusing to lift ban to allow disabled individual to be vaccinated at Civic Centre
Updated 09:42 on 22/01/21
Public authorities such as Folkestone & Hythe District Council must consider your right to life when making decisions that might put you in danger or that affect your life expectancy.
It has come to light that our Council – Folkestone & Hythe District Council – are refusing to lift a ban on at least one person – we understand there are more – who has been banned from the Council’s land and property, so denying them a right to be vaccinated at the Vaccination Hub at the Civic Centre.
The ban was put in place in Jan 2020 and was meant to be reviewed in July, but this did not happen until Oct 2020. The second review elected to keep the ban in place. For legal reasons we cannot say how the ban came about other than to say, the individual was challenging Council decisions which they strongly took a disliking to.
This genuinely paves the way to the clear and present danger of them possibly dying from Covid, as they are being denied access to the vaccine at the vaccination site at the Civic Centre.
And NO they have not tried to jump the queue or turned up without being advised to.
As we understand the banned person is a patient registered at the one of following Folkestone surgeries:
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The New Surgery,
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Guildhall Street Surgery,
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Sandgate Road Surgery
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Manor Clinic.
The Council’s continuing intransigence to lift the ban is a clear breach of their Article 2 and Article 14 Human Rights.
The untold human suffering, anxiety and mental anguish they are suffering, knowing they will not be allowed to receive a vaccination at a place closest to them, has already led them to self harm and contemplate suicide.
Such treatment by the Council is inhumane knowing that a vaccination can help prevent people from dying from Covid-19.
It is known the individual suffers from a significant disability.
The Shepway Vox Team has seen paperwork of the ban received and the Council’s unwillingness to even consider the Human Rights of this individual, and lift the ban.
This demonstrates the Council’s absolute callousness and contempt for this individual’s right to life and disregard for the rule of law.
If the Council do not lift the ban we fear the individual may well take there own life.
This individual has a right to the vaccine just like anyone else. Any death will mean the Council have blood on their hands and make them legally liable for their death, if they commit suicide, or die of Covid.
As somebody who knows the detail of this case, I side with the individual. The ban has no basis in reality. The Council were miffed by the fact the individual was prepared to challenge their decisions. Using such heavy handed tactics does not bode well for the residents of the district. Disagreeing with the Council is bad for your health. I should know as there is NO dissent in the Council as it is seen as disloyalty.
I was banned from the premises of FHDC because I dared to challenge the Council’s decision by going to the Local Government Ombudsman. Their behaviour does not surprise me. Keep up the good work in fighting for the underdog.
I’m a Senior Manager at FHDC. The grounds for the individual’s ban are spurious to say the least. I would go as far as to say the reasons are made up and have no validity whatsoever. The Council know all to well the individual cannot challenge their decision via the courts – which was mentioned in the meeting when discussing the ban. When asked for evidence at this meeting none of the more Senior Officers provided any and we had to “take their word for it”.
Many staff in the building know Senior Management tell untruths.
Nobody in the Civic Centre is willing to put their head above the parapet because they WILL lose there job and that’s well evidenced.
The Council will make up anything that suit their ends, even lying or refusing to co-operate with the Local Government Ombudsman
There was the time when the former Chief Exec – Alaistair Stewart just made the constitution up on the hoof.
See – https://shepwayvox.org/2018/02/02/a-call-to-arms-with-your-mobiles-and-cameras/
and then there’s the fact Folkestone and Hythe Council was threatened with a court summons by the Local Government Ombudsman over its handling of a complaint about its treatment of a homeless family.
See – https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/governance/396-governance-news/42831-ombudsman-threatens-council-with-legal-action-over-lack-of-co-operation#:~:text=Folkestone%20and%20Hythe%20Council%20was,treatment%20of%20a%20homeless%20family.&text=Mr%20King%20criticised%20both%20the,family%20and%20to%20his%20investigators.
The Council’s decision to ban the individual does not surprise me. All their reasons to do so are probably bullshit.
Whatever the reason the person has done to receive the ban, on compassionate grounds the Council should lift it. Given that the Council own Debenhams as well as the Civic Centre this poor sole will not be able to use either.
Sounds very inhumane treatment by FHDC, but then they don’t respect residents, just ask those who opposed Princes Parade and are opposing Otterpool. Totally ignored.
Please could I suggest that you ask the Council to explain (in writing) why their ban on disabled persons from being vaccinated in the Civic Centre does not place it in breach of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. In particular, please refer to section 149 and Schedule 2.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
Further information and guidance can be obtained from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/equality-act-faqs