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01/07/2013
Care Home Protest At Stormont
Elderly residents of care homes in Northern Ireland have travelled to Stormont to demand an end to the closure of NHS homes.
The move follows an announcement in April that 19 homes would close across Northern Ireland.
The policy was later dropped by Health Minister Edwin Poots.
Alliance Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy and East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson attended today's rally.
Mr McCarthy said: "The decision by three Health Trusts to close all their care homes was illogical and irrational. There are still questions to be asked of how much Edwin Poots knew about these decisions.
"These announcements created a great sense of confusion and fear among the residents of these care homes.
"The Health Minister cannot simply force people into the private sector. While many would want to stay in their own home, the Minister has a duty to provide residential care home services.
"Those who attended the rally voiced their anger at the Minister's poor handling of this situation. He has yet to reassure us that he is acting in the best interests of the residents of these care homes."
Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MLA Sandra Overend plans to hand a petition to Edwin Poots today in support of Westlands Care Home in Cookstown.
The petition of 4,892 signatures will be presented to the Heath Minister after it was announced the care home would close in November.
Mrs Overend said: "This petition was organised by Opportunities for Older People, Cookstown (known as Cookstown 040), over the period of two weeks. I hope that the Health Minister will take note of this petition and consider the views of residents, their families and local people so that we don't end up with another debacle which previously caused such distress and annoyance."
(IT/JP)
The move follows an announcement in April that 19 homes would close across Northern Ireland.
The policy was later dropped by Health Minister Edwin Poots.
Alliance Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy and East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson attended today's rally.
Mr McCarthy said: "The decision by three Health Trusts to close all their care homes was illogical and irrational. There are still questions to be asked of how much Edwin Poots knew about these decisions.
"These announcements created a great sense of confusion and fear among the residents of these care homes.
"The Health Minister cannot simply force people into the private sector. While many would want to stay in their own home, the Minister has a duty to provide residential care home services.
"Those who attended the rally voiced their anger at the Minister's poor handling of this situation. He has yet to reassure us that he is acting in the best interests of the residents of these care homes."
Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MLA Sandra Overend plans to hand a petition to Edwin Poots today in support of Westlands Care Home in Cookstown.
The petition of 4,892 signatures will be presented to the Heath Minister after it was announced the care home would close in November.
Mrs Overend said: "This petition was organised by Opportunities for Older People, Cookstown (known as Cookstown 040), over the period of two weeks. I hope that the Health Minister will take note of this petition and consider the views of residents, their families and local people so that we don't end up with another debacle which previously caused such distress and annoyance."
(IT/JP)
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