Fury at Fort William care home U-turn threat

LOCHABER campaigners are preparing to crank up the pressure on Highland councillors ahead of a crucial vote on the future of care provision for the elderly.

Members of the Invernevis Action Group expressed their fury this week after it emerged council officials have ruled there is no business case for building five new care homes in the Highlands, including a replacement for Fort William’s Invernevis House.

The outcome of the “business case review”, controversially agreed to by councillors in December, will be outlined at a full council meeting next Thursday. This is prior to a vote on June 24 where councillors will decide whether to back or scrap the pledge to build the five homes.

Members of the council’s ruling Lib-Dem, Labour and Independent Group coalition administration were briefed on the review last week but its recommendations were quickly “leaked”, sparking a war of words between councillors and campaigners.

Yesterday (Wednesday) members of the Invernevis Action Group, set up initially to oppose privatisation of Invernevis House before the last election, urged councillors to “do the right thing”.

Action group secretary Liz Campbell said: “We just feel so furious – it’s a damn disgrace that we find ourselves in this situation.

“The plans for a new Invernevis have been approved. We were told the money was in place. What on earth has happened?

“We’re not giving up but we feel very anxious and disappointed. We’re talking about the care of our elderly people. It was a promise made by the council that they would build a new Invernevis. They must honour that pledge.”

Action group member John MacIntosh added: “We just feel so let down. If councillors are going to go back on their big promise they should all resign. Something really stinks here.

“If they back the officials it will mean the present Invernevis will have to close and the residents moved out to goodness knows where. The care authorities are allowing it to remain open as a special case at the moment because of the promise of a replacement home at Caol.

“It’s extremely worrying and we just hope that councillors will do the right thing when it comes to the vote.

“We will look to attend that meeting in big numbers. We have to keep the pressure up and we would encourage all people with an interest to lobby their councillors and put as much pressure on as possible.”

The care homes issue was the dominant topic at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Lochaber Grumpy Club.

Those in attendance backed the stance of the action group and of local councillors in Lochaber. Chairman of the meeting Philip Nolan pointed to council and health board statistics which showed projected population changes in Lochaber between 2004 and 2024.

These showed that the number of people aged 75 and over will rise by 98 per cent in this period, while those aged 65-74 will increase by 64 per cent.

The club also discussed the ongoing uncertainty over the future of Belford Hospital’s Belhaven Ward which caters for mainly elderly patients.

Invernevis Action Group members (from left) Colin Neilson, Liz Campbell, Margaret and John MacIntosh. Iain Ferguson, The Write Image

On Invernevis House, Lochaber SNP councillor Bren Gormley told the meeting: “I keep asking not what will it cost to run a council care home, but rather what will it cost not to run it.

“We’ve had some pretty shaky experiences with private sector care homes in Lochaber which is a powerful argument in favour of retaining Invernevis House. We’ll continue to fight hard on this.”

Lochaber Independent Alliance councillor Donald Cameron told the LN: “I would have been surprised if, on purely economic grounds, there would have been a case to build the home.

“Of course there’s a cost in providing care for our elderly but I believe the public will is there for us to do that.

“This will come down to whether there is a political will amongst councillors.

“Between now and the vote there will be a lot of debate but I remain hopeful that the administration will be persuaded to build new care homes, perhaps on a rolling programme.”

Alliance colleague Eddie Hunter said: “You can make a business case to suit any argument. But we’re talking about vital public services for our elderly people and we’ll certainly continue to lobby colleagues.”

Lochaber councillor and leader of the administration Michael Foxley said yesterday: “This is work in progress which will be reported in full, in its final form, to the council meeting of May 13.

“We will listen to what those affected have to say and make final decisions, as councillors, at the council meeting of June 24. That is the right and proper way to deal with a decision of this importance.

“The decisions we make in June will cover the whole of the council’s capital programme for the next five years, not just the care homes.

“Whatever happens we will ensure that high quality residential and nursing care is available to all those who require it – and that we provide the services which enable people to remain safe and secure in their own homes for as long as possible.

“With regard to Invernevis, there could be a number of options.”