Closing homes would be ‘devastating’ - Baird

That’s according to Ulster Unionist councillor Joan Baird, who called for the Health Minister, Edwin Poots, to sit down with his department and ‘do his sums’.

Councillor Baird, who is also Chair of the Southern Group Environmental Health Committee, said, “I’m very disappointed in the current situation of the Health Service.

“First we hear of people from Banbridge who are having to go to Mullingar for operations and recently we learned that young people, who require heart operations, are going to have to go to Dublin for treatment.

“Now we learn this news about the homes in Banbridge and Dromore. The question I would ask is where do the residents go? They have already had to give up their Housing Executive homes, and in many cases they have no families close-by who could take care of them.

“If they were to go into private care it would surely be more costly. It’s time the Minister and his department got together and did their sums.”

Councillor Baird sympathised with the staff at both homes and

“The staff at Skeagh House and Crozier House give excellent care. They go above and beyond, working above their hours to put on parties and other events for the residents.

“These brilliant members of staff will lose their jobs. It would be a real shame if that was to be the case.”

She concluded, “This is terrible news for the vunerable people in homes. It would be devastating for someone of 80 or 90 years of age to be moved about and this news is causing me great concern.”