‘Secret society’ claim as health minister is urged to act over Achvarasdal care home closure
SCOTLAND'S health minister Shona Robison is being urged to intervene over the impending closure of the Achvarasdal care home.
The plea was made by Derrick Milnes, who chairs the Thurso and Wick Trades Council. He described the planned closure of the home near Reay as “a very serious situation for Caithness” and accused those operating the facility of acting “like a secret society”.
A relative of one employee at Achvarasdal said the closure plan is “scandalous” and claimed staff are “upset” by the decision made by CrossReach. It runs the home on behalf of the Church of Scotland.
The home has 30 full-time and part-time staff and 10 residents, although it can cater for 25.
Mr Milnes wants Ms Robison to intervene over the closure plan.
“We have an ageing population,” he said. “We are told there is no spare capacity in the country, so why was Achvarasdal not being used?
“People are crying out for nursing homes and yet this facility was not fully utilised. Why is someone not looking at that?
Why was CrossReach not talking to NHS Highland about the spare capacity which would reduce their costs? If they were, why were they not telling anyone?
“They have been operating like a secret society.”
Full story in this week’s John O’Groat Journal.