UNISON can reveal that health trusts across Northern Ireland are continuing at full speed with their plans to close NHS residential care homes despite health minister Edwin Poots’ announcement to the Assembly in May that the process had been stopped.
The health minister withdrew proposals to close all NHS residential care homes and passed the responsibility for the future of the homes to the Health and Social Care Board.
The Health and Social Care Board set up a regional planning group to decide on the future of the care homes.When challenged by UNISON on his response to the public consultation which is overwhelmingly against closure, John Compton CEO of the Health and Social Care Board said: “Consultation is not a veto.”
This is the clearest indication yet that health administrators are hell bent on total privatisation despite public opinion and ministerial statements to the contrary.
The majority, if not all, of the health trusts have continued to operate a non-admissions policy for long-term residential stays, while other trusts have taken the decision to close their homes.
UNISON can reveal that the Northern Health Trust has not accepted any long-term admissions in the last year, while the trust has referred approximately 192 elderly people to private residential care homes over the same period.
For the years 2011-2013, the Northern Health Trust has referred over 342 elderly people to private residential care providers. The Northern Health Trust is also in the advance stages to close Rathmoyle Home in Ballycastle and reconfigure the service to a supported living scheme.
The Belfast Trust has drafted plans to close Chestnut Grove Residential Home in the North Belfast and Pine Lodge Home in East Belfast.
UNISON is awaiting responses from the Western Health Trust, South and East Health Trust and the Southern Health Trust on the numbers of referrals for long-term admission to their respective NHS residential homes and referrals to private sector residential homes in their areas.
Joe McCusker, UNISON regional organiser, speaking on the plans to close the homes says, “The health minister announced to the Assembly in May that the process for the closure of NHS residential homes had been stopped, yet we find that John Compton intends to ignore public opinion, and health trusts across Northern Ireland are operating non-admission policies which effectively close the homes over a period of time.”
He adds, “The health minister needs to come clean on his knowledge of the trusts plans and whether or not he endorses their approach in closing the homes. He also needs to be open and transparent about the real decisions being taken by Compton and Health and Social Care Board.
“The regional working group and the public consultation now look like a complete sham, put in place at the time to divert press interest away from vocal 90 year olds who are still very much at the centre of the campaign to keep NHS homes open.”
UNISON, as part of the Friends of Care Homes ‘Save Our Homes’ campaign group, is opposed to any NHS residential care home closures. Lobbying of the health minister, the NI Assembly, political parties and MLAs, along with events and demonstrations opposing the home closures will continue until the policy of closing NHS residential care homes is stopped.
