Press Release
Imminent Closure of Drumclay Care Home – UNISON calls on Western Health Trust to ‘Do the Right Thing’
Statement from Joe McCusker, Regional Organiser, UNISON
UNISON, the UKs largest public service Union is calling for immediate action from the Western HealthTrust on the pending closure of Drumclay Care Home in Enniskillen. UNISON has learned that Drumclay Care Home will close its doors on 12th December with no plans in place for any future use of the facility.
Drumclay Care Home was bought by its current owners, Ebbay Ltd in March 2017. The Home provides Nursing care for elderly people and older people with dementia. The owners have cited the inability to recruit enough skilled nursing staff as the reason for the closure. The Home currently has two residents.
Joe McCusker, UNISON Regional Organiser, speaking on the closure of Drumclay Care Home says, “ This is a very worrying development for the provision of nursing home care and residential care in Enniskillen and surrounding towns. Demand for nursing home care in the area is increasing with many other care home providers in the area operating near to or at full capacity. The Western Health Trust must now take immediate action, step-in, and do the right thing to ensure that the Drumclay facility continues to operate as a health care facility for the local community”.
Mr. McCusker continues, “ with a growing ageing population, closures of NHS and private operators Care Homes and an admission ban on permanent residential care placements by Health Trusts, we are heading into a crisis in Care Home provision for our current and future older people. Over the last number of years UNISON has raised concerns with Care Home provision in Northern Ireland with the Department of Health and all Health Trusts and our concerns appear to have fallen on deaf ears. We can no longer leave the care of the most vulnerable in our society to the uncertainty and volatility of the private market and the distress this creates for residents, their relatives and staff working in Care Homes”.
For further information please contact:
Joe McCusker, Regional Organiser on 07775 856286 or 028 90 270190