Yet another nursing home closes

Galleon Homes, owners of Seafield Lodge in Dorset Road, issued a press statement in response to Observer inquiries but declined to add to it.

The company, which recently closed Oakhaven in Terminus Avenue, blames tough new Goverment legislation and lack of increases in funding for the closure.

Oakhaven has been demolished and flats are being built on the site.

Galleon Homes have made no reference to job losses other than to say that staff are being offered help in finding other posts.

The company said: "Galleon Care Homes has announced, with regret, the closure of Seafield Lodge Nursing Home.

"The company took over Seafield in September 1999, the home having been in receivership for a long period prior to that.

"Every assistance will be offered to residents to re-locate and to staff in finding alternative posts.

"Seafield prides itself in offering a high standard of care but is unable to continue to do so in the present economic climate.

"New care standards and other changes introduced by Government without viable increases in funding have compounded with continually rising costs to increase pressure on all nursing homes.

"Those affected by this decision will be aware from extensive media coverage of the difficulties faced, in particular, by nursing homes and this closure has resulted from these conditions.

Seven of Bexhill's 73 residential and nursing homes have closed in the last 12 months.

Five others face financial hardship which will undoubtedly lead to their closure in the next couple of years.

It means up to 260 beds have gone or are going in care provision in Bexhill.

This is the bleak outlook predicted by Tony Andrews, chairman of the East Sussex Rediential Care Homes Association this week.

"It is probably just a very low estiamate of what might happen unless the Government do something about the cost of care or new regulations facing home owners," he warned. "The next five years are going to be very traumatic."

His comments follow the news that 36 places will be lost with the latest closure by Galleon Homes of Seafield Lodge in Dorset Road. (See separate story).

It follows the recent closure of the company's Oakhaven Home in Terminus Avenue, with a loss of 42 places.

Mr Andrews, horrified by Tuesday's national story of a 108-year-old woman who starved herself to death when her care home closed, told the Observer his home too would face closure in the next few years if things did not change. Mr Andrews runs a 20-room speciality home for mentally ill and alcohol abuse patients.

"This is a national problem which is not going to go away. Some of the new regulations facing home owners seem without rhyme or reason. "I have been a successful home owner for 22 years with one of the best inspection records in Sussex. But I may well have to close in 2007 or earlier because of new regulations over groups of 10 only and disabled access.

"These are just two of 249 new fat-headed rules made by people who have no experience of the sharp end and have damaged the care sector severely."

Mr Andrews does not blame the county's social services department for the crisis. "I am not defending the county but I don't think they have been given a fair crack of the whip. They cannot provide more money to home owners because they are restricted by Government."

Currently care home owners are paid 250 a week per person. Studies have shown this needs to be at least 350.

"The effect is bed-blocking at our hospitals which costs the NHS 2,000 a week per person. It is ridiculous.

"Now the Government is saying social services will be charged for beds blocked, which is ridiculous because they cannot afford it.

"It is all such a nonsense."

Bexhill and Battle MP Greg Barker said: "This is a national scandal but no community is feeling it more than here in Bexhill. It is a monstrous waste of taxpayers money but more importantly the elderly are being penalised by the financial burden placed upon care home owners."

l Over the last five years 50,000 places have been lost nationally. In one year alone 175 homes closed. Downing Street insisted extra cash was being ploughed into councils' social services budgets to meet the extra costs of new and upgraded homes and increased fees.