Deputy Health Minister Opens Innovative Nursing Home

Tom McCabe MSP, Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care today officially opened Belhaven Nursing Home in Dunbar.

Belhaven Nursing Home takes an innovative approach to providing healthcare in Scotland, an NHS facility will be used to help address the shortfall in care home provision.

The former 11 bed ward at Belhaven Hospital has been refurbished and recommissioned as a care home for 11 residents.

East Lothian Local Health Care Co-operative (ELLHCC), part of NHS Lothian, will own the new home, but East Lothian Council will be the registered service provider, delegating the provision of services at the home to ELLHCC. The Care Commission advised the local agencies that the NHS cannot register as a care home provider.

The staff working at the home are NHS Lothian employees, and are all either registered nurses, social care staff or nursing assistants.

The integrated approach at Belhaven ensures that the highest level of care is provided.

NHS Lothian together with East Lothian Council are now looking at ways this integrated approach can be expanded.

Tom McCabe:
"I am delighted to officially open this facility which I am sure will continue to provide a very high standard of care and support to all those who live here.

"We face a huge challenge in looking after the growing number of older people in Scotland, whether in their own homes or in a care home.

"I am pleased to see this excellent example of partnership working between East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian to increase care home capacity in this area."

Brian Cavanagh, Chair, NHS Lothian said:
"Belhaven Nursing home is an excellent example of imaginative partnership working. This nursing home is a practical example of the spirit and aims of Joint Future, because it takes the positive attributes and legal competencies of each agency and puts them together to produce a flexible, high quality service that meets local needs better than either agency could do alone.

"This is the first time this model has been put into practice in Scotland, and we are now looking at how this innovative approach can be replicated elsewhere, both in East Lothian and other parts of Lothian. Members of the public will also be pleased to know that the model means that the service can be provided at a lower cost to the public purse than the previous NHS-only service."

Bruce Walker, Director of Community Services, East Lothian Council said:
"We are delighted to be working with East Lothian Healthcare Co-operative in this joint initiative that will help us to provide new and much needed care home places in the country. The Belhaven Nursing Home shows joint working can achieve really positive outcomes for service-users and their families.

14 June 2004