Care homes an ‘accident waiting to happen’

Sir, – I was interested to read your article regarding care homes and The Care Inspectorate (Watchdog ‘posted missing’ in crisis, Courier, May 20).

Whilst agreeing with Jackie Baillie’s point of view, she was, like myself, involved in local government and will agree that the situation in Scottish care homes was, for many reasons, “an accident waiting to happen”.

If the Scottish Government intend to take over underperforming care homes I welcome the initiative.

And although it may be financially prohibitive to head in this direction and control care homes, it should be considered when the inevitable public inquiry takes place.

Over my years in local government I am sure that Dundee was not alone when I say that social work budgets could not be met, and we experienced huge deficits on a regular basis.

It was not the fault of the department or the convener – they provided the best care possible whilst experiencing severe financial constraints and at the same time supporting care homes.

I may be inviting criticism and indeed resentment when I say that in these difficult years, we activated a review to examine all care homes in the city, both council and private, and in my view shared by others, with the exception of Wellburn Home and council-led establishments, the private homes were not fit for purpose and subsequent closures bore this out.

Why was this?

The private homes’ staff pay, working conditions, care for the residents were inferior to the council.

That was then but there is something drastically wrong with the present system.

It needs to be looked at and sorted, a merging of the NHS and care homes would give continuity and safety for the elderly. John Ross Letford. Hindmarsh Avenue, Dundee.