Save Nelson Court Update

We were disappointed by the poor response from the Tory administration at the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Meeting last week on the Nelson Court care home.

Local businessman and blogger Jonathan Primett also attended the meeting and has blogged here about his experience. It is worth a read

This meeting was called by Labour as an opportunity to present alternative proposals, which would avoid the privatisation of three Medway care homes.

Cllr Vince Maple (pictured) spoke from the floor citing the poor consultation by the current administration

Cllr Tristan Osborne and Cllr Christine Godwin also addressed the meeting calling for alternate proposals to be considered. Alternatives included ideas such as the Co-operative or Local Authority Trading Company models, as showcased in other local authorities of all political affiliations.

However, at the meeting, the Conservatives remained closed to new ideas, and seemed resolute on limiting outside input, stymieing the chance to make the meeting a meaningful part of the decision process.

The chair, supported by his fellow Conservative members, insisted on the use of formal votes, and refused to allow any members of the public to speak. Interested councillors were also disallowed from speaking at the meeting.

Taking this closed approach was completely unacceptable, as the point of the meeting was to promote further discussion and help present new ideas.

Though the meeting was called by Labour to help offer a further opportunity for concerned service users, carers, families and staff to express their opinions, it seemed clear from the outset that these opinions would not be fairly listened to.

Cllr Teresa Murray, Medway Labour’s Spokesperson for Adult Health and Social Care said,

“The Tories showed how politically motivated and small minded they are by refusing to support our proposal for a pause in the tendering procedure to privatise the care homes and investigate alternative arms length staff-led models. This would enable the people who run the services to identify the key priorities and efficiencies, and keep the much loved specialist staff in place to maintain quality.”

“Even Tory led Essex County Council has done this successfully for it’s social care services, but Medway Tories are political dinosaurs who only want to contract out. They don’t want hard working social care staff in Medway to have a chance, although when we met staff they were keen to try.”

Nelson Court Privatised

Luton & Wayfield Councillor's and local businessman Jonathan Primett gathering signatures to oppose the Care Home closures

It is with great regret that Nelson Court Care Home was privatised by the Medway Cabinet last week.

We worked very hard with service users and with campaigners across the ward and beyond to safeguard this facility from a now uncertain future in the private sector.

Medway is on the verge of having no publicly owned care homes for people with extreme care requirements.

It is unacceptable that the most vulnerable have been made to suffer and we are standing by the staff, patients and local residents with an offer of support.

We will continue to stand up for the most vulnerable in our community.

Our Group press statement and submission on Care Home closures.

Chatham resident Robert Heathfield gathering signatures against Care Home Closures

Campaigning for Nelson Court

The ward team are supporting the campaign to safeguard services in Nelson Court on Nelson Road and other care facilities at Platters Farm, Robert Bean and the Balfour Centre unit.

Local campaigners and Councillors were at the Pentagon Centre yesterday collecting signatures to safeguard these facilities.

Please see below contributions from people living in the ward and those that use these facilities.

Jon Primett: Resident in Luton

Service users of the facilities

We will continue to stand up for these facilities.