Princess Di’s Aids centre facing closure

LONDON - Late Princess Diana’s Aids centre, which she had opened as part of her drive to highlight the plight of sufferers and break the stigma surrounding the disease, is facing closure due to a funding cut.

Opened in 1991, Milestone House in Edinburgh was among the first in the UK to offer specialised care to people with HIV and Aids, and was one of the locations where Diana famously hugged and held hands with Aids sufferers.

But now the centre, which is currently housing 14 residents and helping a further 200 sufferers, could be closed after the City of Edinburgh Council threatened to withdraw funds.

Waverley Care, which runs the facility, has written to users warning them of the funding threat, sparking anger among people with HIV and Aids in the capital.

“As you may know, the City of Edinburgh Council wants to stop funding the unit, which means it will probably have to close,” the Scotsman quoted the letter as reading.

“Milestone has been an absolute life-saver for so many people over the years. Without it, I would be dead,” one HIV-positive centre user revealed.

“So many people get support here and manage to keep themselves healthy.

“Without it, I’m convinced that drug users with HIV would simply slip back into their bad old habits. Quite frankly, we could be looking at a new Aids epidemic in the city if Milestone wasn’t there offering support,” the patient said.

Director David Johnson is in talks with the city council in an attempt to halt the threat to its funding, and has held two meetings with users to warn them about the funding crisis.

“This is not a firm decision and we are currently in discussions with the council,” Johnson said.

The council has told Waverley Care it may have to find “alternative funding” to finance the centre’s residential unit, which takes referrals from around the UK.

The council suggested using the savings to support Aids and HIV patients at home.

A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said it had made no final decision on the future of Milestone.

“The council, NHS Lothian and Waverley Care Trust are having positive discussions about the services provided at Milestone House,” he added. (ANI)