The meeting of the Integration Joint Board on this Friday 26th will be considering the Review of Residential Care provided by the Chief Officer.
The purpose of the review was to ensure the best value in respect of residential care home provision at Beechgrove and Parkdale care homes and to try and make savings of £696,000.
Four options were initially put forward by the Perth & Kinross Integration Joint Board:
- Option 1 – Status Quo.
- Option 2 – Closure of Beechgrove and Parkdale Residential Care Homes with 50 replacement beds commissioned externally from the independent sector.
- Option 3 – Closure of Parkdale and retention of Beechgrove as Residential facility with 30 replacement beds commissioned externally from the independent sector.
- Option 4 – Closure of Beechgrove and retention of Parkdale as Residential and Intermediate Care facility. This option would keep Parkdale open and use part of its facility as an Intermediate care unit.
According to Review of Residential Care, “Option 4 scored highest based on the combined quality and financial appraisal and this is now being recommended to the IJB for approval.” Approval of this option would mean the closure of Beechgrove Care Home with residents being found alternative accommodation locally.
No final decision will be taken until the meeting of the Integration Joint Board on Friday but this information must leave those with loved ones in Beechgrove wondering what happens next.
It must be especially galling when Perth and Kinross Council have arranged a deal to light up landmark buildings with spotlights and projections. The cost of £12m will be met with £5m already ring-fenced by Perth and Kinross Council. Although the funds are not in the same pot it has alleged.
The initial proposal is to make savings by to consider closing two care homes. Meanwhile, It has caused a row over Perth & Kinross Council’s spending spree project lighting that brought in 50,000 visitors to the fair city last year and is set to cost around £12m based over a six-year period carried out by a Lancashire-based company called LITE Ltd.
Councils do not have full control over budget separations but the community have urged the council to consider financial negotiations and agreements.
