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‘Disgraceful’ decision to close Aberdeenshire care home blasted

25 residents of Westbank Care Home in Oldmeldrum will be forced to move.

Westbank Care Home, Oldmeldrum.
Westbank Care Home in Oldmeldrum will close. Image: Google Maps.

An Aberdeenshire councillor has said he is “extremely disappointed” that Westbank Care Home in Oldmeldrum is to close.

All 25 residents at the Aberdeenshire facility will be forced to move from the home, which opened in 1965.

Even though Westbank has 33 beds, eight remain vacant due to “significant, long-term issues with recruiting enough people to fully staff the home”.

The Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) – which comprises of NHS representatives and councillors – agreed to its closure on Friday.

It comes as part of efforts to make over £20 million worth of savings this financial year.

Westbank ‘not up to modern standards’

They say the move will “achieve a balanced budget decision”.

Councillor Derek Ritchie standing next to Westbank Care Home sign.
Councillor Derek Ritchie called the decision to close Westbank Care Home “disgraceful”. Image: Derek Ritchie/Facebook.

A report from Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) recommended Westbank for closure, saying the facility  “is no longer considered up to modern care home standards”.

It also added that it “requires significant levels of investment over the coming years”.

The home was originally scheduled for closure following the opening of the purpose built Bennachie View Care Home in Inverurie in 2015.

That home currently has a mothballed 12-bedroom “household”, which will be supported to reopen by the redeployment of staff from Westbank Care Home and will allow some residents from Oldmeldrum to transfer there.

Westbank Care Home closure a ‘disgraceful decision’

Councillor Derek Ritchie, who represents Mid-Fortmarine and said the public were not consulted on its potential closure, said: “It’s a disgraceful decision and one that will be extremely detrimental to the wellbeing of residents and relatives.”

During his speech to the IJB board meeting, Mr Ritchie – who visited the home on Tuesday – said: “I have been simply besieged with items of correspondence, be it emails, messages via Facebook or telephone calls.

“Some I have to say were quite harrowing to read or listen to, after all this is real people in the twilight of their years, vulnerable people, people who have given their bit to society and expect society to look after them in their hour of need.”

Bennachie View Care Home, Inverurie.
Some of the residents will move to Bennachie View Care Home in Inverurie. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

He also gave examples of how closing down Westbank will affect residents:

  • A son whose mum is a resident of the home is convinced that the move will “kill her”.
  • Two sisters whose mum is a resident said it was “her choice” to spend £1,300 to be there and that her parents’ life savings “are now long gone” and are in the process of selling their family home.
  • One woman, whose auntie – who has learning difficulties – lives at Westbank, says she is “happy” for the first time in her life after receiving life changing trauma that killed her mum and dad in a car crash, with her being the sole survivor. Her sister lives in the houses opposite and her niece “fears for her future” and the “trauma” of what a move will have.

‘This has not been an easy decision’

Aberdeenshire IJB chairman John Tomlinson said: “This has not been an easy decision for the IJB to make and we have heard from various speakers today about the value they place on the care delivered at Westbank Care Home.

“We too value the work that staff have done over many years to care for residents at Westbank and I wish to be absolutely clear that this decision in no way reflects on the management or staff at the home.

“We are in a very challenging financial position and the outlook over the medium term is no brighter and as a result we have to ensure that we have a laser focus on ensuring that the services the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership deliver are sustainable and fit for the future.”

Aberdeenshire HSCP confirmed that work to close the home and find suitable new accommodation for all residents will now begin and teams will work closely with staff, residents and families to ensure that residents are supported into new homes.

They also confirmed that new accommodation for Westbank residents will be decided collaboratively between care management teams and residents and their families, with resident needs and requirements also being assessed.

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