Tag Archives: Lisgarel

Roy Again Challenges DUP U turn on Closing Trust Residential Homes

Commenting on news that the Northern Health Trust are proposing to close all 9 of their remaining statutory residential homes, Ulster Unionist Health spokesman Roy Beggs MLA said: “I am shocked that Minister Poots’ ink is no sooner dry on his decision to close half of all the statutory homes across Northern Ireland, now the Northern Health and Social Care Trust are already proposing the closure of the remaining Trust Residential care places.” “I have been warning for some time that widespread closures would be part of the outworking of part of the Transforming Your Care proposals, endorsed in its entirety by the Minister for Health Edwin Poots. However, even in the worst case scenario I never envisaged the Trust proposing a total closure of all of their residential care homes by 2017. “I have also asked, but have yet to receive an answer, to a simple question: what has … Continue reading

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Why the DUP U turn on NHS Trust Residential Homes Closures?

East Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs has stated that the Health Minister’s statement to the Assembly on ‘Transforming Your Care’ has generated more questions than answers. Mrs Beggs said;” Just like last week when I raised questions during a debate about Health and Social Care in my East Antrim constituency, Minister Poots has been less than explicit in his answers about the implication of the Transforming Your Care (Compton) Report.  He does not seem to have answers to the specific concerns I have raised about early discharge from hospital, and Trust residential homes which can be vital in providing rehabilitations service prior to patients being discharged safely back to their homes. Questioning Minister Poots on the proposal to phase out statutory residential care homes, Mr Beggs said: “From family experience, I am aware of two elderly people who were returned to their homes following hospital treatment with very limited … Continue reading

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Speech on Health and Social Care in East Antrim

Adjourment debate, Stormont 2/10/12 Mr Beggs: I am pleased to have secured this Adjournment debate on health and social care in East Antrim. The reason that I wanted to secure it can be summed up in one word: equality. Are my East Antrim constituents getting equal treatment when it comes to accessing health and social care provision? I am concerned that many are not. I will set out the context for the debate. The last time that we debated an East Antrim-specific health topic in the Assembly was February 2008. At that time, the context was a consultation document that the Northern Health and Social Services Board had issued on replacing services in Inver House in Larne. This time, the context is the ‘Transforming Your Care’ report, also known as the Compton report, which was published last December. I will speak on some of its implications later. I will also … Continue reading

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Delay at Greenisland House Replacement has Implications for Joymount, Lisgarel

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs has said that the lack of progress in replacing The Trust Residential Home Greenisland House does not bode well for the other NHS Trust Residential Homes in East Antrim, whose future is once again in question. Mr Beggs commented; “It was three years and a half years ago that the Northern Health Trust last proposed major changes in how care for the elderly was to be provided. Their initial efficiency saving plan to close all their residential homes was watered down after a consultation period which revealed considerable public opposition. The revised plan which was approved by the then Minister Michael McGimpsey saw no change to Lisgarel in Larne, and Joymount in Carrickfergus, while Greenisland House was to be replaced by a supported housing scheme built on site. During the consultation meetings, strong hints were given by Trust officials that new sheltered housing could be … Continue reading

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Emerging Proposals on Residential Homes “Shocking”

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs Jnr has said he is shocked at emerging proposals that, if implemented, will see all NHS Trust Residential homes in Northern Ireland being closed down by 2015. He was speaking after all 6 East Antrim MLAs were invited to Ballymena for a meeting with the Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Care Trust, Sean Donaghy last Friday. Roy Beggs MLA said: “I was aware that the Compton Report- Transforming Your Care, which was commissioned and welcomed by Health Minister Edwin Poots last year reiterated the overall long term policy goal of the Department of Health to transfer resources in elder care from institution settings to care in the community and home. The Review also indicated an increasing use of the private sector, and spoke of a reduction of residential home places. However the Trust appears to have interpreted Compton as meaning the closure of … Continue reading

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