Concern at Cambridgeshire care centre closures

Dementia patients could suffer when three day care centres in Cambridgeshire are closed, councillors have said.

Healthcare Homes, which runs the centres, has decided not to renew its contract with Cambridgeshire County Council meaning the centres at  Home Meadow, Toft, Home Close, Fulbourn, and The Hillings, St Neots, will be shut down.

Fiona Whelan, Cambridgeshire’s Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for adult social care, said: “This is worrying news. These day centres provide specialist care for some of the county’s most vulnerable adults and give their carers much needed respite.

“Across the county, people are living longer and I am concerned that if this provision is lost it will not be replaced.”

A spokesman from the Conservative-controlled Cambridgeshire County Council said: “The council had offered to continue its relationship with HealthCare Homes but not under the terms of a block contract but they turned it down.”

A block contract means the council pays a set fee for the service regardless of the level of use. The council spokesman said the service was being “significantly underused”.

The council said Healthcare Homes wants to “concentrate their efforts on the provision of residential care”.

A statement from the county council read: “The county council will now work with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (which organises day care services for local people), families and service users to find suitable alternative placements for local people currently using the day care services and funded by the county council.”

Home Meadow, Toft, is due to close on August 31; Home Close, Fulbourn, on October 31 and The Hillings, in St Neots, on November 30.

A statement from Healthcare Homes said: “The long-term contract with Cambridgeshire County Council that was previously in existence to provide day care provision has expired and the council has intimated that they no longer require these services at these locations.”

However, a spokesman from the council said it was not in agreement with the suggestion that it had said it no longer required the services.

He said: “My understanding is that we declined to renew the block contract and Healthcare Homes took the business decision to cease providing day care at the three locations.”