‘Do we just make Raigmore into a giant care home?’
A better way to deal with care
I write in response to the Val Sweeney articles on Cradlehall Nursing Home dated September 23 and November 8.
I was appalled to read in September that the owners of this 50-bed care home had applied for planning permission to convert the property into flats. After a brief holiday in October I decided to write to newly elected Angus MacDonald, MP, who had made the NHS a priority in his election literature. A swift response followed but, before we could arrange a Zoom meeting to discuss my ideas for this home, the announcement was made that planning permission was granted.
Why was planning permission granted so quickly? Why is the Highland Council allowing the loss of 50 care home beds? Why did the planning department not flag this up to the social care department first?
The owners of Cradlehall (St. Phillips Care based in Wolverhampton) announced back in April that, following their voluntary agreement with the Care Inspectorate to cancel their service registration, they were to refurbish the property and sell to a care provider with a strong local presence. Now, they didn't wake up one morning in September and decide “oh, let's turn Cradlehall into flats." It takes time to get the consultants to put the design proposals together - weeks if not months. So what happened to the plans to refurbish?
Is this what care providers do, just suddenly become property developers?
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When a property developer has their plans refused at council level they regularly appeal to the Scottish Government and eventually they are inevitably passed. So why can't this Scottish Government do this in reverse? Call in this planning application which would delay its implementation. Then assess the care bed/waiting list situation in the region. Why are we allowing care home owners to close properties and then benefit from redeveloping in a prime residential site? Do we just let every care home go the same way - and then just make NHS Raigmore into a giant care home?
My original idea was for Cradlehall to be used to house patients from hospital who can't be discharged as there is no care package yet in place. Delayed discharge is a major cause of waiting lists in the NHS as there are no beds to house patients recovering from their operation.
So, why can't we (Highland Council/NHS) take over Cradlehall?
There will be a multitude of obstacles and it won't be easy. But if it was easy someone would already have done it! It's a lot easier to say "no" than make the effort.
Some will say, "there's no money." Rubbish. In 2023 then First Minister Humza Yousaf ring-fenced £300m to slash waiting lists So far health boards are struggling to spend the £30m so far allocated.
Some will say, "there's no staff." True, many have left the NHS due to the pressurised environment, or taken early retirement. But patients who are awaiting discharge from hospital generally don't need highly skilled medical staff to look after them. Yes, they will need some medical supervision, but surely some of the staff who have left the NHS or retired early may be tempted back into an environment which will be less pressured. Particularly if they see that in doing so they are helping make inroads into the NHS waiting lists. It just needs to be co-ordinated.
The local community may even get involved via voluntary organisations, church groups or just members of the public who want to help. Because who doesn't have a relative, neighbour, friend or know someone who's awaiting an operation and the misery this delay is causing them?
Grahame D Couttie
Edgemoor Park
Inverness
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