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| Residential care homes: Consultations to begin over possible closure | Residential care homes: Consultations to begin over possible closure |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Consultations will take place over the possible closure of 10 residential care homes across Northern Ireland, the BBC understands. | |
| The Health and Social Care Board agreed on Tuesday that the five health trusts should look at alternatives to house older residents. | The Health and Social Care Board agreed on Tuesday that the five health trusts should look at alternatives to house older residents. |
| The consultation will last 12 weeks. | The consultation will last 12 weeks. |
| The homes affected include two in Belfast, two in Londonderry and three in County Down. | |
| The full list of residential care homes earmarked for closure are: | The full list of residential care homes earmarked for closure are: |
| One home, Pinewood in Ballymena, is being proposed for closure as a care home to become a community rehabilitation unit for the Antrim and Ballymena area. | |
| In addition, Skeagh House in Dromore, County Down, which has been closed since 2013 due to a landslide, will not be reopening. | |
| Fionnuala McAndrew, the Health and Social Care Board's director of social care and children, said current permanent residents would not be affected by the proposals but the board had a responsibility to plan for the future. | |
| "I am confident that the recommendations set out in the trusts' proposals will help us achieve a balance between continuing to care for the current residents of statutory homes appropriately, as well as progressing plans for addressing the future needs and preferences of our population. | |
| "There will always be a need for some level of residential care but the changing trends and desires of people must be taken into account, too. | |
| "It is important that trusts provide the best possible level of care alongside the need to change and modernise their services." | |
| The trade union Unison said the decision from the board would leave communities "outraged" that there could be left with no residential care provision in their area. | The trade union Unison said the decision from the board would leave communities "outraged" that there could be left with no residential care provision in their area. |
| Joe McCusker, Unison's regional organiser, said: "For those homes that are identified for closure, this will cause distress and alarm for residents in those homes knowing that they will be the last residents. | Joe McCusker, Unison's regional organiser, said: "For those homes that are identified for closure, this will cause distress and alarm for residents in those homes knowing that they will be the last residents. |
| "If these proposals get approval from the health minister, this means that in major towns and cities across Northern Ireland there will be no NHS residential care provision and no choice for people to avail of statutory residential care." | "If these proposals get approval from the health minister, this means that in major towns and cities across Northern Ireland there will be no NHS residential care provision and no choice for people to avail of statutory residential care." |