Plans to close trust care homes

Five care homes may close in the Northern Health Trust area

Five residential care homes in the Northern Health Trust area have been earmarked for closure under new proposals.

The homes are Clonmore in Newtownabbey, Greenisland Residential Home, Lisgarel in Larne, Rosedale in Antrim and Rathmoyle in Ballycastle.

They could be replaced in the future by supported-living housing or homecare support services.

The trust said it must save £44m over three years.

The new proposals were announced as it launched the second phase of its consultation on plans to "modernise services".

Maureen Mann's 71-year-old mother is a resident at Clonmore.

She said if the move went ahead her mother would be "devastated".

"My mum could not be looked after at home because her needs are too great," she said.

"I don't know what's going to happen, it's just like someone coming and saying 'right, you have to move out of your home but we've nowhere for you to go'.

"It's so unsettling for her."

Northern Health Trust chairman, Jim Stewart, said the consultation would run to 6 March and would allow members of the public and interested parties to debate the proposals.

"Under the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) we, along with all other trusts in Northern Ireland, have been asked to find ways of making significant savings," he said.

"At the same time we have to make more effective use of these resources to deliver services in ways that are more appropriate for our patients and clients."