Gloucestershire care home closure consultation begins

The Elms care home in Stroud is one of four under threat of closure

Residents and their families are to be consulted about plans to close four council care homes in Gloucestershire.

It is in response to a falling demand for places partly due to the Covid pandemic, and more people wanting to be cared for in their own home.

Gloucestershire County Council said the closures were part of wider plans to shape the future of its social care sector.

A final decision on the homes' fate will be made in June.

Council cabinet members heard demand for standard residential care home places had been falling consistently for the past five years.

In addition many residential care providers were negatively affected by the Covid pandemic.

A survey of Gloucestershire residents undertaken in 2021 showed 99% thought it "very or quite important" to be supported by community-based care so they could stay in their own homes for longer.

Members also agreed to begin a six-week consultation on the proposed closure of four of its existing care homes: Orchard House, Westbury Court, Bohanam House and The Elms.

The council said 99% of Gloucestershire residents surveyed said they preferred to be cared for in their own homes

But some local GP's are concerned.

Dr Tom Yerburgh, a GP in Dursley, said the plans needed a rethink due to the national shortage of carers.

"There's a shortfall of community staff, there's a shortfall in district nursing, there's a shortfall of doctors and a shortfall of care staff," he explained.

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said that on any one day there could be upwards of 1,000 empty beds in their care homes.

"If we don't start looking at how we can reduce those vacancies, there's a real risk that good quality modern care homes will start to close," he warned.

The council said its goal was for more people to go home, after being discharged, helped by carers. It said selling off the care homes would help fund the support they needed.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]

.