Shock as under-threat care home is '˜measured up' for closure

Protesters outside Holyrood at a recent demo against the closures. Local campaigners included Bonnybridge councillor (now also Falkirk Provost) Billy Buchanan

That was the message to supporters from local woman Laura Owens this weekend, after a visit to her gran which has left her “absolutely disgusted”.

She said: “If I had any respect left for (care home owner) Bield, it has certainly gone now - insenstive doesn’t even come close to describing this.

“I think it just goes to prove the point that many have believed for long enough, Bield don’t care about these old folks”.

As reported in the Falkirk Herald and national news a campaign group launched by Mrs Owens has won support from the union UNISON and is campaigning to stop the closure of 12 Bield homes which collectively house around 170 residents.

After a public meeting last weekend efforts have been stepped up to take the campaign’s message direct to health secretary Shona Robison, who until now has been accused of fobbing off relatives with “generic letters”.

The Save Our Bield group staged a demo during a recent Holyrood health committee meeting which had earlier been presented with a petition bearing more than 9.000 names,.

It has been accused of “washing its hands” of vulnerable elderly people who - months after Bield announced its controversial plan to ditch unprofitable care homes - still have no idea where or when they may be rehoused.

The campaign in Bonnybridge has also seen Labour’s Scottish leader Richard Leonard tackle First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a crisis he argues proves the private enterprise approach to care homes is fatally flawed.