Poots was warned of Care Home risks a year ago – Beggs
Ulster Unionist Party Health spokesperson Roy Beggs MLA, has revealed that the Health Minister Edwin Poots ignored warnings received more than a year ago from the Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland in relation to the proposed closure ofResidential Care Homes in Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey.
Mr Beggs said:
“Vulnerable people living at the Greenisland, Joymount, Lisgarel and Clonmore Residential Homes will have been significantly distressed by the DUP Health Minister, Edwin Poots failure to follow the guidance given to him by the Older Person’s Commissioner. More than a year ago, on the 18th April 2012, Claire Keatinge the Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland handed a Briefing Note to the Health Minister at a meeting in Castle Buildings.
The Agenda was listed as “Planned closure of statutory residential homes across Northern Ireland as identified in Transforming Your Care- A Review of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland (Compton Review), December 2011.
The briefing note covered a wide range of issues relating to good practice. These included,
‘minimising any adverse impact on the current residents has to be at the heart of the process of statutory residential care home closures.”
‘The planned manner of statutory residential home closures that Compton refers to should be led and developed on a regional basis through the DHSSPS
‘The process of care management planning to be clearly set out
‘Independent advocacy support should be available to all residents who are affected by the home closure process
‘A clear communications plan through the DHSSPS should be in place
Bearing in mind that the Health Minister was warned of the potential pitfalls more than a year ago, it is even more incredible that he permitted the disaster which emerged in the fast fortnight to occur. The Commissioner for Older People gave him 12 months warning of what could go wrong. Minister Poots ignored her advice and this merely compounds his shame as to how the most vulnerable were treated. ”
Mrs Beggs added:
“It is also the case that I issued public statements a year ago warning of the threat to the remaining Residential Care Homes in East Antrim. I flagged up last May the dangers of Residential Care Homes being closed by stealth,without replacement local services being available.” http://www.roybeggs.co.uk/emerging-proposals-on-residential-homes-shocking/
