Care home was missed chance Council’s ‘dilly-dallying’ means opportunity lost
Two Wishaw councillors have continued to lament the loss of a proposed intermediate care home which was due to be built on the site of Belhaven Care Home in Wishaw.
Earlier this year, plans were announced to construct a new £ 4 million intermediate facility for patients which would provide help care for those suffering from conditions such as strokes within the community rather than in a hospital.
However, in May the new Lanarkshire-wide Joint Integration Board, which deals with all functions of health and social care, stated that the proposals would no longer go ahead with the plans on this site because it not a suitable site.
That decision continues to wrangle with Wishaw councillor Sam Love and his Murdostoun counterpart John Taggart who believe that such a facility is vital for Wishaw and the surrounding area.
Councillor Love said: “A similar care home is set to be completed in Chryston which will be a wonderful facility when it opens.
“This same facility in Wishaw would have been a real benefit to the town.
“There was obviously problems identifying the site because of the problems with the ground at the old Tesco site but when Belhaven closed I thought it was an ideal opportunity to have such a facility here.
“In March the money was there but now it is not. That money has been lost and I never thought in a million years that I would have seen a Labour administration doing that.
“We had the money there but the council dilly-dallied and now the idea has been mothballed.
“I never thought Nor th Lanarkshire Council would do that.”
Councillor Taggart added: “This is something that we really need in the Wishaw area. Intermediate care homes are wonderful facilities.
“They are the ideal place for people to get back on their feet without being in a hospital.
“Assessments can also be done on patients and modifications can be made to their home so that by the time they leave the care home everything is in place for them to lead as normal lives as they possibly can.
“The council have now left the decision up to the new Joint Integration Board.”
Belhaven Care Home in Dryburgh Road shut its doors for good earlier this year for health and safety reasons after the facility’s heating system broke down with residents being relocated to a care home in Uddingston.
Councillor Harry McGuigan, Chair of North Lanarkshire Joint Integration Board, said: “The JIB is currently progressing considerations for a new-build intermediate care home.
“Planning work between ourselves, South Lanarkshire Integrated Joint Board and NHS Lanarkshire Acute Services remain ongoing.
“Future models of intermediate care will then be considered by the JIB at a future meeting.”