Scrutiny committee catches fire

9 July 2003

More than 70 people turned up to last night's (8 July) Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) on Social Services, Health and Housing in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to witness a fierce debate about the closure of the Vicarage Gate Nursing Home unfold between local residents and the Elizabeth Finn Trust.

Outraged residents from the Royal Borough protested strongly about the way the Elizabeth Finn Trust had handled the closure and subsequent sale of the Vicarage Gate Nursing Home. In response the Elizabeth Finn Trust explained their reasons for the sale whilst new owners, local property developer Northacre, outlined their assessment of the site and plans for re-development.

The urgent special meeting of the OSC, called by OSC Chairman, Cllr Ernest Tomlin, revealed the valuable role local scrutiny can play. Councillors on the Committee raised a series of incisive questions that prompted telling answers from local residents associations, Jonathan Welfare of the Elizabeth Finn Trust and property developers Northacre.

With last month's focus on the loss of nursing homes in the Royal Borough, Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman, Councillor Ernest Tomlin, called the special urgent meeting. Its remit was to examine the steep decline of in-borough beds for older residents, given that over 100 beds have been lost in the last two years due to the closure of Delves House and Vicarage Gate nursing homes.

"We saw the real value of the scrutiny function tonight, which provided a forum for the depth of local feeling about the loss of nursing home care within the Borough. We have turned the spotlight on a very important local issue," explained Cllr Tomlin. "The scrutiny role of councillors is there not only to keep an eye on the way the council is run but to speak out on big issues affecting our residents. There are few things more important than making sure our frail and vulnerable residents are looked after either in their homes or if that's no longer possible as close to home as we can manage."

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