Public to be consulted on plans to shut 5 of Edinburgh's council-run care homes

Proposals to shut five council-run care homes in Edinburgh will not go ahead without public consultation, health leaders have said.

A decision on whether to shut four care homes completely in Edinburgh, namely Ferrylee, Clovenstone, Ford’s Road and Jewel House and change a fifth - Drumbrae care home - from residential care to complex medical care, could now be delayed until the end of 2021, as a result of the public consultation.

The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), which oversees health and social care, made the consultation promise at its meeting on 17 August.

While health bosses had initially looked to decide the care homes’ fates at the meeting, a final decision was pushed back in favour of a public consultation.

EIJB chair and Labour councillor Ricky Henderson said: "The board is committed to a public consultation exercise.”

Councillor Henderson said: “How it would actually be conducted, what the parameters would be, what the detail would be I don’t think we’re in a position to make a decision on because we don’t have the advice. I think as long as we give a commitment in principle at this stage, then we need to analyse the detail of the advice and hopefully that will clarify the situation for us.”

There are currently nine council-run care homes in Edinburgh.

Four of the care homes namely Fords Road care home which is registered for 36 residents, Jewel House (32 beds), Ferrylee (43 beds) and Clovenstone (35 beds) are housed in buildings which have been described by Edinburgh City Council as no longer fit for purpose.

Trade unions and campaign group ‘Another Edinburgh Is Possible’ were protesting against the closures outside the City Chambers at the time of the EIJB meeting and have welcomed the public consultation.

Unison assistant branch secretary Gerry Stovin said: “We welcome the consultation – the public need to be consulted on this.

"We will work our hardest to get the public involved and get as many people to respond. And Unison will promote the retention of public services in the way of residential and nursing care homes in Edinburgh as far as we can.

"If the consultation runs up to Christmas we will campaign right up till then to try and get a commitment for these care homes to be replaced.”