Sir Lindsay Hoyle gets the government involved in bid to 'save' care home
The Commons Speaker and Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle has brought the case of an under-threat care home in his constituency to the attention of the government.
He told a rally in support of Grove House in Adlington that he had raised the future of the facility with a cabinet member.
The Lancashire Post understands Sir Lindsay spoke to health and social care secretary Wes Streeting about the 47-bed home, as part of a broader discussion.
Grove House is one of five elderly care residences that Lancashire County Council is currently reviewing after they were deemed to be in “significantly poor condition”.
County Hall has stressed that no decisions have yet been taken about any of the local authority-run premises – and it is first carrying out a public consultation that it says will form a key part of the review process.
However, the potential “reprovision” of the services, agreed by the county council’s cabinet last month, has sparked concern that some or all of them could be closed.
Sir Lindsay told the Post that he had brought the subject up with the Secretary of State in the context of seeking to “prevent any closure”.
Addressing the dozens of people who gathered at Saturday’s demonstration, outside Adlington Library, he said: “We aren’t going to let [Grove House] close.
“If it needs ensuites or… painting, whatever – let us invest, not close. We need to build for the future. The future doesn’t come by removing something, it comes by adding to it.”
Speaking to the Post after the event, Phil Price said he was desperately trying to shield the question mark now hanging over Grove House from his 93-year-old mother, Sally, who has been a resident there for more than three years.
“She’s the kind of person who frets about everything – if she found out about this, it would be disastrous for her, so myself and the staff have all been keeping it from her.
“She absolutely loves it there – the staff are wonderful, I can’t praise them highly enough. It’s a real community,” Phil said.
The county council has commissioned fresh building condition surveys, which will also be factored into the decision-making process about each of the homes, along with five day centres which are also part of the review. The last time such assessments were carried out at the properties was in 2021 – and it is understood some of the facilities have received investment since then.
However, Phil says he can’t fathom why Grove House has been highlighted as one of the the homes causing concern.
“I believe it was built in 1979 and it’s not exactly dropping to bits – if it was, I’d be the first to say it was no good. The staff are doing their best in trying circumstances – I’d be happy to go in there myself,” added Phil, who is 66.
“And it’s not like she’s getting it for free because it’s a council-run home – they take £800 every four weeks from her pension and the other little bit of money she gets.”
Asked if he was hopeful that the home would remain open, Phil said: “I’ve got to be, for my mum’s sake, because I know what it will do to her [if it closes]”.
Chorley Rural East division representative Kim Snape - who organised the rally and also started a petition in support of Grove House, which has attracted more than 2,300 signatures - added: “Our voices matter - and together we can make a difference.”
Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, Graham Dalton, has advised those with direct experience of the facilities under review to “be emotional” in their response to the ongoing consultation.
He told a meeting of the authority’s health and adult services scrutiny committee earlier this month that he wanted to hear the personal stories of residents and their families – because that will “affect how the cabinet look at [the issue]”.
In a statement last week in response to a call from the county council’s main opposition group leader, Azhar Ali, for investment in the facilities being reviewed – similar to that made by Sir Lindsay Hoyle – County Cllr Dalton told the Post:
“We fully understand how important these services are to local communities and the strength of feeling about their future.
“The public consultation is an eight-week process and is open until Friday 12th December – and we encourage everyone to share their views.
“A further scrutiny committee is then planned for January before the issue is discussed by cabinet in February.
“No decisions have been made – and it will be for cabinet to decide any further steps.”