Runwood Homes to reopen home in Northern Ireland under new name

Runwood Homes is to reopen a home in Northern Ireland that was previously closed by the regulator for posing a “serious risk to life”.

Ashbrooke Care Home in Enniskillen, which was closed in August 2017 (see Runwood Homes closes due to “serious risk to life”), is to be reopened as Meadow View Care Home.

A Runwood Homes spokesperson told CHP: “Meadow View Care Home in Enniskillen is currently going through the final stages of registration to commence as a new and reformed state of the art residential service.

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“A full refurbishment has been completed to a very high standard and offers beautiful accommodation to residents requiring residential care.”

Runwood Homes said the home would be the first home in Northern Ireland to use Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring digital care planning system.

The decision to reopen the service under Runwood Homes has been met with strong opposition, however.

Julieann McNally, the daughter of a former resident at Runwood’s Dunmurry Manor, told the Belfast Telegraph she would launch legal proceedings to block the new facility.

“It makes absolutely no sense at all that the RQIA can close an establishment and make such damning comments about the conditions, then, 18 months later, the same company can open a care home in the same building but give it a new name,” she said.

Alliance Party health spokeswoman, Paula Bradshaw, added: “It seems inconceivable that the same company could set up a home in the same site as one which was closed by the regulator so soon after that closure.”

An RQIA spokesperson said: “RQIA is not in a position to comment on individual applications for registration.  However, RQIA assesses every application for the registration of a service to determine whether they meet the legal requirements for registration.

“In addition, prior to the registration of any new service, RQIA ensures a permanent manager for the service is also registered.  Once registered, each service is subject to inspection and regulatory oversight by RQIA, in line with relevant legislation and standards.”