Robison to be quizzed on care home closure
Public Health Minister Shona Robison is expected to be taken to task today over the shock decision to close a specialist dementia care home in Aberdeen.
City MSP Lewis Macdonald will ask her to explain who is ultimately responsible for shutting the 40-bed Woodgrove unit.
The Aberdeen Central Labour MSP will press Ms Robison during a debate on dementia in the Scottish Parliament.
She and Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon have said the issue must be a “national priority”.
Mr Macdonald said he was demanding answers because no one at VSA, which runs the home on May Baird Avenue, NHS Grampian or the city council was “holding their hands up and saying it is my fault”.
Mr Macdonald said: “Families of residents are very angry and concerned about the welfare of vulnerable people of advanced years who are being forced to leave their home.
“I want the government to lay out who is responsible for what and ensure that all agencies involved take it seriously and play their part.
“There has been a lot of focus on child protection agencies who fail to talk to each other and now we are talking about agencies which look after vulnerable old people.
“What has happened at Woodgrove is not acceptable and I want Shona Robison to explain what she is going to do about it.”
VSA announced last week it could no longer afford to foot the £1million-a-year bill to keep the unit running and it is now expected to close in December.
Chief executive Kenneth Simpson said the charity had no option but to close after the Care Commission said the facility required more staff, and Aberdeen City Council refused to provide the necessary additional funding.
Aberdeen City Council said it could not justify paying VSA more money but has pledged that dementia sufferers will receive the same standard of care when the unit is shut down.
Social work director Fred McBride said his team would work extremely hard to relocate residents to ensure they do not suffer.
A 30-day consultation period, involving the Unite trade union, has begun in the hope that jobs can be found elsewhere in VSA for the unit’s 32 workers.
