The head of the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged has been suspended from duty, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Melvin Dickinson, who is also the Senior Abuse Registrar, is facing a disciplinary hearing over his performance and Corita Saunders is acting as NOSPC manager in his absence.

Cabinet Minister Dale Butler, who has responsibility for seniors, told this newspaper he did not get involved in staffing issues but was aware that Dr. Dickinson had been removed from his duties and that the matter was with the head of the Civil Service.

"He is going through the disciplinary hearings," said Mr. Butler, adding that such matters always involved the level of performance. "They are to determine whether or not, based on the evidence submitted on his evaluations, he should retain his job."

Asked for information on the situation, Kenneth Dill, head of the Civil Service, replied: "It is not my practice to discuss internal Civil Service matters with the media."

A source said Dr. Dickinson was suspended in December, when an investigation was launched into the NOSPC. The source added: "It's been absolutely shrouded in secrecy. The reason for his suspension must be the best kept secret in Government. "Nobody seems to know what's going on but the people of Bermuda have a right to know — it's a government agency."

Claudette Fleming, executive director of the Age Concern charity, said the situation created an ideal opportunity for the Government to "really look at the National Office and restructure it".

"We have always wanted to see the office beefed up and so we hope this will be used as an opportunity to give it the resources it needs to function," she said.

"I think the needs of seniors in Bermuda are growing or, at least, awareness of issues around elder abuse and so on is growing. There is a need to build capacity and there has to be a central place within the Government to do that and I think the National Office is that place."

Marian Sherratt, executive director of the Bermuda Council on Ageing, said the NOSPC was a "very important office" and the situation should be of concern to both Government and the wider community.

"Our seniors need support, particularly in these difficult economic times and we can only hope that other staff are coming to the rescue and filling the gap and are able to meet the needs of our senior population," she said.

This year's Budget allocated $1.09 million to the NOSPC, with $682,000 for seniors and $417,000 for the physically challenged. The amount was down from $1.23 million ($758,000 for seniors and $479,000 for the physically challenged) the previous year.

A survey conducted for an October 2004 report on seniors in Bermuda found that just two percent of younger seniors (aged between 65 and 79) and one percent of older seniors (aged 80 and older) had used the services of the NOSPC in the past year.

The Ageing in Bermuda study found that 51 percent of younger seniors and 65 percent of older seniors did not know that the NOSPC was available to help them. Dr. Dickinson could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

l Have you used the services of the NOSPC? We want to know about your experiences. Call reporter Sam Strangeways on 278-0155 or e-mail sstrangeways@royalgazette.bm