Public meeting over changes to Barra hospital and care home 30/1/14
A public meeting to discuss progress on the project to replace St Brendan’s in Barra
is set to take place next Thursday in Castlebay.
NHS Western Isles and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar senior representatives will attend
to provide updates on the hospital and social care services.
In December, Hebrides News revealed it proposed changes to construct a combined hospital
and care home at Horve.
Instead, a standalone social housing care facility may be built next to the new hospital
in Barra.
The Comhairle now wants to have a stand-alone sheltered housing complex to replace
the care home adjacent to the proposed new hospital at St Brendans.
It would include a number of self-contained “supported living” flats with ensuite
bathrooms and showers.
The council is looking at each flat being wheel chair accessible, Each could have
an open plan living room and kitchen as well as a double bedroom with space to install
a hoist if required. The flats could be linked by phone or video line to a 24 hour
alarm call system.
A replacement for the crumbling St Brendan’s hospital is urgently required with the
facility previously described as “completely unacceptable” for modern standards by
health board bosses.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar operates the adjoining care home which is not in such urgent
need of upgrading. However, the council shared the cost of the feasibility study.
Until recently, the main options were to construct a new hospital either with or
without an attached care home or GP surgery at an estimated cost of between £8 to
£12 million.
The council’s idea to replace the care home with stand-alone social housing came
too late to be included in the initial agreement submitted to the Scottish Government.
However, it will be included in a business case on the final options to be lodged
to the Scottish Government in a bid to gain the necessary funding.