Parents battling to save a children’s respite care centre are hoping to send the decision to the Health Secretary in a last-ditch attempt to reverse the decision.

Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) announced last summer it could longer afford to pay the £600,000 a year to keep Nascot Lawn Respite in Watford open.

Despite losing a Judicial Review launched by parents, the CCG still plans to close it.

And yesterday Hertfordshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee this week decided it would not refer the decision to close Nascot Lawn to the Secretary of State, who has the power to stop the closure.

Parents group Save Nascot is pressing for this decision to be voted on by the whole council rather than than just the committee.

The Disabled Children’s Partnership said parents and families had been left “baffled” by the county council’s decision.

Campaigns manager Stephen Kingdom said: “Members of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, alongside the families who have fought so hard to keep Nascot Lawn open, are utterly baffled by the county council’s decision not take more decisive action over the CCG’s decision to withdraw funding for the centre.

“The CCG’s decision to stop funding Nascot Lawn needn’t have been the end of the matter if the council considered that this would not be in the interests of the local health service. It seems self-evident to us – and to parents – that closing Nascot Lawn is not in the interests of the health service in Hertfordshire, given the impact it will have on children with complex health needs and their families.”

Mark Watkin, Lib Dem county councillor for Nascot Park Division, home of Nascot Lawn and opposition spokesman for children’s services believes a referral could actually prove "harmful" to children.

He said: “Although it might seem initially appealing, I believe, the referral to the Secretary of State would actually prove to be more harmful  to the approximately 30 children and families who have still to transfer from Nascot Lawn to one of the three respite homes managed by the county council.

"The decision to refer would be a lengthy and time consuming process and nothing will progress for six months. 

"There are two elements which might make me change my mind. It is critical that the Section 75 Agreement which fixes how much money the CCG's and the county will jointly provide, to ensure the future for these families is signed as soon as possible. Also the county council must ensure that all the adaptations to West Hyde home in Maple Cross are completed by March 2019 as planned so that the child with the greatest need can be accommodated. 

"I’m convinced there is a desire from both the CCG and county council to work to help these children transition to the centres and provide them with the care and  facilities  they need as soon as practicable.

"This is why I proposed the motion, agreed by all members both Conservative and Labour, that there should be sub-group of county councillors, including me, set up to monitor exactly what is happening with the power to recommend a referral if that is the right thing to do." 

Watford MP Richard Harrington said: “I have always been totally against the closure of Nascot Lawn but my priority now is working with the CCG and county council, to ensure that families affected get the respite care they are rightly entitled to for their children.”

Labour county councillor for children’s services, Nigel Bell, says he does not support the decision made by the scrutiny committee and believes the Government is to blame.

Cllr Bell, who represents West Watford, said: “It is about time Cllr Quilty stood up and publicly lay the blame squarely where it belongs with his government and their austerity policies which led to the unnecessary and shameful cuts to these most vulnerable children.

“He should be prepared to lead a delegation to the secretary of state and demand the money needed.”

Chairman of the health scrutiny committee, Cllr Seamus Quilty, says the county council is close to finalising an agreement to support future respite care at the council’s three other respite facilities.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council’s scrutiny committee said: “The committee carefully considered the evidence available to it, and noted the CCG had largely accepted all of the recommendations made by the committee in March and that progress towards a formal binding agreement to support health input in to an overnight short break service for all children with complex health needs in Hertfordshire as being made.

“The committee concluded that it was not appropriate to consider referral to the Secretary of State for Health at the present time.”

The CCG says it will continue to ensure that the health needs for all children who have used Nascot Lawn are met in county council overnight short breaks services.