Home Closures - The Buck Stops with Poots
02 May 2013
Statement by North Antrim MLA Jim Allister:
“The cruel policy of peremptorily closing the statutory residential homes typifies the worst in health care and reform.
"Despite attempts to disown it, this is the Minister's policy. He cannot spin this way out of this reality. The buck stops with the Minister, Edwin Poots. Attempts to hide behind the faceless Health Trusts or the smooth-talking front man Mr Compton will not wash.
“When the UUP held the Health portfolio Mr Poots described the planned closure of residential homes as “the McGimpsey cuts”. Should any of these closures go ahead they will be because of “the Poots cuts”.
“If my highlighting of the Minister’s hypocrisy embarrasses him into a climb down from the position which he outlined to the Assembly on 19th March, when he stated that he wanted to reduce the number of statutory residential homes “by around 50%” it would be most welcome.
“I suspect that the proposals coming from the Trusts are so drastic that the Minister will seek to spin “the Poots cuts” as less serious than they really are, but despite all the plausible language reducing 92 year olds to despair is what 'Transforming Your Care' looks like in practice. It is as shambolic as it is cruel.
"To further flush out what is really going on, I am tabling the following Questions:-
To ask DHSSPS where within 'Transforming Your Care' is the closure of residential care homes restricted to 50%, as publicly claimed by the minister.
To ask DHSSPS will the minister identify and place in the Assembly Library the research from within Northern Ireland which he has publicly claimed demonstrates the absence of detrimental effect on residents and their life and health prospects, arising from the closure of their residential home.
To ask DHSSPS how does the minister reconcile his statement in the Assembly on 19 March 2013 that closures of residential homes would be restricted to 50 %, and that only within three to five years, with the published plans of Trusts for 100% closures on a much more imminent timescale.
To ask DHSSPS where will the shortfall in respite beds and intermediate care beds, currently available in statutory residential homes, be made up in the event of closure of the statutory residential homes.
To ask DHSSPS, in light of the experience of the collapse of Southern Cross in GB in 2011, has the minister any concerns about a policy which anticipates all residential care home provision moving into the private sector.
To ask DHSSPS, in respect of each of the last five years and each statutory residential care home, will the minister specify the extent of usage of their facilities for respite beds and intermediate care beds.
To ask DHSSPS, in respect of each of the last five years and each statutory residential care home, to specify the number of admissions to each and the capacity, both used and unused, of each.
