Listen to the people and Save Beechgrove

GMB Scotland yesterday urged the representatives of the Perth & Kinross Council Integration Joint Board (IJB) to ‘listen to the people’ and save Beechgrove House care home.

The IJB will reconvene this morning to revisit proposals for nearly £700,000 worth budget cuts programme, which includes the closure of the last publicly owned care home in Perth, having reached a split decision in January.

GMB, which represents staff at Beechgrove believes the closure of the care home will have far reaching consequences for service users and their families and staff alike, while concerns have been raised over the accountability and suitability of unelected IJB representatives making decisions over the livelihoods of council employees.

GMB Scotland Organiser Helen Meldrum said: “Closing down the last publicly owned care home in town would be a disaster for local services users, their families and for the dedicated staff who deliver first-class care.

Services users and their families will be left at the mercy of the market and our members will be subject to redeployment elsewhere within the local authority with implications for their work-life balance – GMB won’t rule out action to defend their interests.

We also have serious concerns over the democratic accountability of the IJB given that unelected representatives are making decisions over the livelihoods of our members who are local government employees.

That’s why we are making a last-ditch plea to the IJB and particularly its elected councillors: Listen to the people – the service users and their families, community campaigners and our members – and save Beechgrove from the cuts.”