Express & Star

'You've got blood on your hands!': Anger at meeting over Wolverhampton care home closures

'You've got blood on your hands!' - just one of the cries from the public gallery during a heated council meeting in Wolverhampton about the possible closure of two care homes.

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Merry Hill House and Nelson Mandela House are earmarked for closure under proposals from the Labour-run authority, which also wants to scrap day-care services at Woden Resource Centre in bid to save £2.6 million.

Council bosses say the cost-cutting measures will increase the number of elderly people who are looked after in their own homes and encourage independence, minimising the need for more care services as a result.

But when the city's adult services chief Councillor Elias Mattu outlined the proposals at a meeting on Wednesday night he was met with a barrage of opposition from a packed public gallery.

Struggling to make his voice heard above shouts of 'blood on your hands' and 'shame', Mr Mattu said the changes could see an overall improvement in services for elderly people across the city.

Councillor Steve Evans added that people in the city had got used to receiving a 'quality level of care that is second to none'.

He said he wanted assurances that the plans were not just about stopping services, but would lead to a provision of care that was 'as good, if not better' than that currently offered.

"It is important that no one is put at risk," he added, "and that nobody is forced out of their home."

Nelson Mandela House

Members of the Unite union in the public gallery were holding placards bearing the words 'Labour-Tory…same old story', while other signs read 'Wasteful Wolverhampton Council'.

The gallery emptied before the conclusion of the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting Marie Taylor, president of Wolverhampton and District Trades Council, said the plans would be disastrous for the city.

"This is effectively a privatisation of social care," she said. "It will lead for poor quality services, lower wages for staff and a lack of support for those who require care.

"The Government cuts to local authorities are appalling, but I want to see more protest from this Labour council to say 'we won't tolerate this austerity'.

"One letter to The Guardian is not enough."

Her comments were echoed by Ian McNee, from the Black Country People's Assembly. He added: "Councillor Mattu talked about what the council are compelled to do because of Government cuts, but they are certainly not compelled to cut services down to the bone.

"This is dragging the city down again. I dread to think what this could mean for service users. It could be another horror story."

The plans were agreed by council bosses and will now go out to public consultation, before returning before the cabinet in October.

At the moment, Merry Hill House in Langley Road, Merry Hill, and Nelson Mandela House in Whitburn Close, Pendeford, have 10 long-term residents but do also accommodate short respite stays. At Nelson Mandela House, 26 beds out of 37 are occupied. It is believed a similar number are occupied at Merry Hill. At capacity, the homes could look after 72 people. There are 97 members of staff across both sites.

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