Friday 23 February 2018

CARE HOME WILL REMAIN OPEN

Derbyshire County Council’s ruling Conservative administration has revealed that Hazelwood Care Home in Cotmanhay will remain open until a brand new facility is built in the community to replace it. At a meeting on 22nd February, Conservative Councillors are due to consider a report which recommends that Hazelwood care home remains open with essential work carried out to ensure it remains safe in the meantime.
 
Catherine Atkinson, Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash, who has been campaigning to keep the Home open said:
“Whether we were campaigning on street stalls or taking the petition door to door, everyone we spoke to locally opposed the Council’s plans to close Hazelwood. But time and time again we were also told we were wasting our time because the Council had already made up its mind. The family and friends of residents demonstrated incredible courage and determination. The families did not believe or accept the inflated costs of keeping Hazelwood open alleged by the Council, costs which have now been exposed as nonsense. I couldn’t be happier that the Council have been forced to listen to the community. The recommendations have come as a huge relief and cause for celebration. However, given the emotional toll on the residents and their families, questions need to be asked about why this exercise was allowed to happen.”

On 6th December 2017 Catherine Atkinson along with families and campaigners attended a meeting at County Hall. A petition signed by 3813 people was presented and questions were asked from the public gallery. Catherine Atkinson, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash told the Council: “You can’t do this to vulnerable elderly people at Christmas. Today the Cabinet member ignored our specific questions and just gave a vague answer, it was totally unsatisfactory. I can’t decide whether the way the Tory Council are handling this is incompetent or cruel.”
 
The day after the petition was presented Derbyshire County Council extended the consultation period on the future of the Cotmanhay care home. On Wednesday 20th December residents of Hazelwood care home were visited by campaigners fighting to keep it open. Families of the residents, and Catherine Atkinson also used the visit to call on Council leaders to look again at the cost of keeping Hazelwood open, in the light of evidence they may have grossly over-estimated repair bills. Catherine Atkinson said: “The fact remains that the Conservatives made a manifesto commitment not to close a care home without building a new one. They will stop at nothing to try to justify breaking their election promise.”

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