Stornoway care home Blàr Buidhe is to close its doors for good.
The 38-bed nursing home has performed well in recent care inspectorate reports but
operator HC-One says it is unable to commit the operational support that the home
needs to flourish long-term due to its “remote location.”
The facility was one of a small number of homes across Scotland put up for sale in 2021.
But it failed to attract a new operator. Negotiations for a potential sale to an interested party recently collapsed.
A spokesperson for HC-One Scotland said: “The decision to close Blàr Buidhe care
home has been an incredibly difficult one to make, and is not one that we took lightly.
“We recognise the impact that this will have on residents, their families, and our colleagues as well as the wider Stornoway community we have been proud to serve.”
The company added: “We have worked extensively with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar over
the last three years to explore all possible ways to secure the long-term future
of Blàr Buidhe, but sadly, we’ve been unable to reach a feasible solution.
“We fully understand how vital Blàr Buidhe is to the local community, and we had hoped to find a local operator who would be better equipped to support the home.
“Unfortunately, our extensive efforts to transfer Blàr Buidhe to an appropriate new operator have been unsuccessful, most recently culminating in a sale of the home falling through.
“Throughout, we have carefully considered how this situation is impacting our residents, colleagues, the care we are able to provide and the operational viability of the home, especially given the time that has passed since we put the home on the market.
“We have therefore had to make the incredibly difficult decision to serve notice on our contract for Blàr Buidhe and begin the process of closing the home.
“All residents and our colleagues at the home will be supported to move safely to an alternative care placement.
“We will work closely with each of them, and with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, to ensure that this happens as smoothly as possible, and we will not close the home until each person has been supported to safely move."
In response, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar says its priority is the well-being of residents,
their families and employees.
Council leader Paul Steele said: “Every care home place in the Western Isles is vitally important. To see a high performing, much needed and valued home close is incredibly difficult for the Comhairle and the Western Isles as a whole.
“Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s priority is the wellbeing of residents, their families and affected employees within our community.
“Work is ongoing to ensure that all Blàr Buidhe residents are offered alternative placements where they can receive the care and support they require.
“The Comhairle’s existing resilience and recent investment in the development of care facilities gives some flexibility to allow for a local response to progress.
“While this is positive it will be a challenging process that will rely upon the flexibility of staff and the support of families.”
The comhairle says it referred option has always been the continuation of the HC-One
managed service and the local authority has been engaged with the provider to support
consideration of any viable alternative.
The investment required to develop the asset to the appropriate standards has “inevitably impacted” on the feasibility of a transfer of ownership to a new provider it added.
Given the risk associated with the decision by HC-One to place the Blàr Buidhe service
on the market, the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSC) has been exploring options
to manage any withdrawal of service.
A spokesperson for the HSC Partnership said: “Initial discussions with the Care Inspectorate
have been positive, focused on exploring opportunities including utilising the award-winning
Bremner Court Housing with Extra Care to support residents and retain the valued
Blar Buidhe workforce.
“Now the position of HC-One has been confirmed, dialogue with residents and their
families will help inform plans and the partnership is sensitive to the stress such
a decision by a care provider will cause.”
A spokesperson for the Comhairle said: “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar will work closely with NHS colleagues through the Health and Social Care Partnership to assess the wider impact of a closure on Health and Care Services and mitigate the impact to employees, residents and families.
“The comhairle is in the process of contacting residents and their representatives
and will work closely with HC-One to secure alternative care arrangements for each
individual.
“While this work progresses, it is important that considerations are made for the wider impact of the closure on the local health and social care system. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar will work closely with NHS Western Isles and other stakeholders to ensure this impact is mitigated.”
Paul Steele said: “This closure again demonstrates the fragility of the reliance on commercial care providers in rural areas.
“The existing system enables commercial providers to withdraw services when business models/priorities change, leaving little or no support for Health and Social Care Partnerships and local authorities or other providers to sustain the operation of much valued care services such as Blàr Buidhe.
“Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has alerted Scottish Government to this risk on several occasions and will continue to make the case for real strategic review and systematic change.”
Stornoway care home Blàr Buidhe announces shock closure decision
18 September 2024
