Dismay at closure fate for Staffordshire care home

The county council says falling numbers mean it is costing more to treat people at the 16-bed Great Wyrley Community Support Unit provides respite care for those with conditions including dementia and learning difficulties.

It is used as accommodation for people recently discharged from hospital and to give relatives and carers a break from caring duties.

South Staffordshire's Councillor Kath Perry, representing Cheslyn Hay, Essington and Great Wyrley, said: "I understand that it is a very expensive place for people to stay and that it is expensive to run. Although the front of the building that was formerly used as a day care centre is closed, it is well used by the community.

"The council is now looking at the viability of the site as a whole.

"I feel if it is going to close we would need to have something else on the site itself. "This would allow people from Great Wyrley and surrounding villages, particularly as we are an ageing population to have a facility to use. We need an up-to-date 21st century building suitable for elderly people to live in and can be looked after.

"It needs to be in the local area so that people who have lived in this part of South Staffordshire for many years, if not all their lives don't have to move to somewhere else that they have no connection to if they have to move out of their own homes."

Although it has 16 beds council bosses say the unit has an average of six vacancies a night. If every bed was filled the gross cost per bed each week would be £936. However, because of the vacancies the average cost is closer to £1,470 per bed.

The council said its preferred option was to close the unit and offer short-stay residential care provided elsewhere. The move had been backed by the cabinet. They will now consult with patients and their families over the plans.

The county council is currently carrying out consultation with users and carers over the closure plan.

Councillor Alan White, cabinet chief for health, care and well being said the support unit has played an important role for some time, but it was no longer providing the modern and service that people expect in 2014 or good value that taxpayers demand.

A report to the cabinet states: "Great Wyrley CSU is a traditional generic, non specialist, short stay care home with attendance figures that are low overall resulting in high unit costs."