Foyleville wasclosed afterconsultation

HEALTH Minister Michael McGimpsey has defended the closure of Foyleville Nursing home last year saying the Western Trust consulted with the families of its five remaining residents last May and agreed their social care needs would be better met in alternative accommodation.

SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey asked the Minister that “given that the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) had determined that it would continually review the operation of Foyleville Nursing Home, why the Trust subsequently decided to close this nursing home?”

The Minister explained how WHSCT - as part of its Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) proposals in 2008 - announced the home would cease to operate from September 2009.

This was endorsed by the Minister in April 2009.

Thereafter a 12-week consultation exercise on the proposal took place and as a result of the consultation the proposal was revised and WHSCT recommended that Foyleville continue to provide residential Care to existing permanent residents for as long as it continued to meet their assessed care needs.

The Minister stated: “The Trust continued to meet with residents, their families and carers, and staff to review the situation and ensure Foyleville continued to meet the assessed care needs of each individual.

“In May 2010, the number of permanent residents had reduced to 5. In consultation with those residents, their families and carers, and staff in the home, it was agreed that residents could have their social care needs better met in alternative accommodation. The final residents moved from Foyleville on 14 th June 2010 and it ceased to operate as a Statutory Residential Home.”

The Minister provided the details in response to an Assembly Question.

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