Ramsey care home closure postponed for funding talks

Cummal Moar has been in operation for more than 40 years

The planned closure of a nursing home in the north of the Isle of Man has been paused, the government has said.

Manx Care earlier said plans for a replacement for Cummal Mooar in Ramsey had been scrapped and the existing building would close.

A joint statement from the health care provider and the health department now said the closure had been put on hold while funding talks took place.

It is not known "how long the pause will be", it added.

The announcement about the closure of the home, which has been in operation since 1981, sparked a backlash, with a petition attracting more than 700 signatures.

'Anxious time'

Manx Care said its planned closure within the next two years was down to the need to review long-term needs in the town, a reduced demand for the facilities, and rising costs.

That prompted Minister for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Lawrie Hooper to say there had been a "miscommunication" with Manx Care and the home would "stay open until the new facility is built".

The latest statement said the "joint decision" to put the closure on hold had been made following discussions.

It continued: "At this point we do not know how long the pause will be, however we are committed to ensuring that everyone is kept up to date as discussions progress."

"We understand that this is an anxious time for residents, their families and the colleagues who work at Cummal Mooar and wish to express our sincere apologies for any upset that has been caused."

While designs for a replacement on Waterloo Road were approved by planners in October, an overhaul of the process of awarding funding for capital projects means the DHSC and Manx Care must review the plans to make sure they are still appropriate before returning to Treasury for updated funding approval.