Home re-opens after a year

MALLAIG care home, the Mackintosh centre, is set to re- open on Monday after more than a year.

The centre shut in July last year amid allegations of poor practice and abuse but, following an investigation, it was found there was no criminal case to answer although an internal investigation into practices of suspended staff is still ongoing.

At the time of closure, NHS Highland said ‘the Mack’ would be closed for four to six weeks but following long-running recruitment problems and eight delays, it remains closed. A spokesman for NHS Highland confirmed this Monday (August 3) as the date residents would be moved home, after living more than 40 miles away in Fort William’s Invernevis house for the last year.

He added: ‘Our priority is always to ensure the safety of the residents. An internal process is still ongoing in respect of the staff members concerned.

‘The concerns raised as a result of the largescale investigation led senior staff at NHS Highland and the Mackintosh centre to improve practice within the care home, by improving the level of staffing, training and future planning before residents were returned.’

A spokesman who has been working on behalf of the residents’ families previously said they wouldn’t believe the centre was re- opening until it actually happened, but said it seems to be going ahead this time.

He said: ‘Hopefully at this late stage it will be too far gone to go back now.

‘It’s just a shame it has taken as long as it has.’