Questions on future of Strathburn House in Gairloch set for public spotlight
CARE home provision for a Wester Ross community is set to come back under the spotlight tomorrow with health chiefs expected to be peppered with questions from concerned members of the public.
As reported in July, new placements were found for residents at Strathburn House care home in Gairloch after the “difficult decision” to impose an emergency short-term suspension of service.
A meeting to be held at Gairloch Community Hall has been confirmed for 10am on October 1. It will give the community the opportunity to question NHS managers not only about the future of Strathburn House, but also about their actions to date, closing it so suddenly and moving residents.
Gairloch Area Development Ltd, a not for profit company set up to further community asset development projects in the local community council area, is rallying locals to attend.
It posted: “It would be great to have a good turnout to support the Strathburn staff.”
It says questions that the Strathburn workers have submitted to Gairloch Community Council that they would like answered include the following:
Questions for NHS: Why was Strathburn closed - please clarify? Re: Media announcement of Strathburn closure in July, please clarify what you mean by ‘closure for residents’ safety’? Where is your evidence for Strathburn building unfit for purpose? The Care Inspectorate report July 24’ does not highlight building unfit for purpose.
It goes on: Why were manager and deputy manager posts not advertised sooner and why not in advertised in the local papers instead of just for NHS? Why were interim Strathburn management arrangement not put in place sooner given that NHS knew of the manager and deputy manager’s intentions to resign pre-statutory notice period?
They are also being asked why did NHS remove residents from Strathburn when residents’ care plans, specifically end of life care plans, request they not to be moved?
Additional questions that people want answered include: Why was the closure and move made ‘with no warning/insufficient warning’ to residents/families/staff? What measures are being taken to re-open Strathburn asap? How long does NHS envisage temporary closure of Strathburn? And what are NHS plans for Strathburn staff?
The development also notes that local staff “may well be lost in the process therefore losing valuable social care worker skills and experience”.
A further question is how the NHS is “compensating traumatised residents/families/staff”?
Local MSP Maree Todd has been requesting regular updates and said earlier that she had heard concerning accounts from staff members and the impact on the community.
