Last ditch effort by SNP fails to save Motherwell care home

THE SNP have failed in a last ditch attempt to save Leslie House Care Home in Motherwell from closure.

The Motherwell Times revealed last month that North Lanarkshire Council is to cease admissions to the Merry Street facility as they don’t wish to spend money on modernisation.

Leslie House currently has 40 rooms occupied by 33 residents but the housing and social work services committee heard from head of social work Duncan McKay that the design and fabric of the building is ‘no longer fit for purpose’.

Current residents will be allowed to stay at Leslie House if they wish but no new applications will be accepted, which the opposition SNP group claimed would ‘hit those that need it most in the community’.

At last week’s full meeting of the council the SNP attempted to save Leslie House and another residential care home in Cumbernauld.

Motherwell North councillor Gordon Stewart said: “Wanting to keep elderly people in their homes for as long as possible is fair enough but we have to consider what is happening elsewhere.

“It is very disappointing we are closing Leslie House because we don’t want to invest in care homes, yet in South Lanarkshire they are increasing their number of care home and people in North Lanarkshire are going to want the same.”

Motherwell West councillor Paul Kelly, vice-convener of housing and social work, responded: “Our strategy was developed with older people as we went and asked them what they wanted. It just might be that South Lanarkshire Council have a different approach.”

The SNP amendment was defeated 35 votes to 17, but it was agreed that after nine years perhaps the elderly care strategy does need revisiting.