The decision to permanently close Belhaven Hospital and Blossom House Care Home took place at a meeting of East Lothian’s Integrated Joint Board (IJB) on Thursday 28 March.
Whilst accepting that members were faced with the difficult task of balancing budgets and bridging a funding gap in excess of £10 million, there can be little doubt that the decision will rip the heart out of local communities and the impact will be felt far and wide.
Since the announcement of the closures, I have been contacted by many residents, community groups and health professionals all of whom are gravely concerned.
This decision was taken without proper community consultation and that is wrong. The views of local people should always be listened to before changes as important as these are made. The council is currently consulting on the provision of care for older people, and previously stated that no decisions would be taken whilst the consultation is ongoing, and no closures made until alternatives were in place. They have betrayed our communities.
I have put together my own short survey to ensure I fully understand your views. I would be very grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to complete the questionnaire below, so I can fully understand what local residents think of the closure.