Councillors hail boost to care bed numbers in Hartlepool

Care bed numbers in Hartlepool have received a big boost following the opening of a new home.
Rossmere Park Care Centre Greenock Road. Picture by FRANK REIDRossmere Park Care Centre Greenock Road. Picture by FRANK REID
Rossmere Park Care Centre Greenock Road. Picture by FRANK REID

The former Manor Park Care Home, in Greenock Road, has reopened under a new owner as the 50-bed Rossmere Park Care Centre.

Councillors responsible for adult social care welcomed the news when they met yesterday.

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Jill Harrison, assistant director of adult services at Hartlepool Borough Council, provided an update to the Adult Services Committee.

She said: “We have been through some rather challenging times, particularly in relation to availability of nursing home beds.

“The real positive story is that we have now Rossmere Park Care Centre which is operational.

“They are working very closely with the local authority in terms of managing admissions and having a measured approach to that and that’s working really well.

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“There are a number of people who have moved in and are settling in.”

The Mayor of Hartlepool, Councillor Paul Beck, is due to attend the official opening of the home on Tuesday morning.

Manor Park, which was run by national firm Four Seasons Care, closed about a year ago after being rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and running at a loss.

Thirty-two residents were forced to move out as a result.

The building was bought by local domiciliary care provider Brookleigh Caring Services.

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Rossmere Park has 20 beds for general nursing care and 30 for residential or dementia residential placements.

It has undergone significant investment including a complete refurbishment of all bedrooms, the addition of en-suite facilities in many rooms, new bathrooms and new equipment in the kitchen.

The home has also benefitted from the addition of a new hair salon, a cinema room and modern bright lounge areas.

The outside has been improved with work underway to create a private garden.

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Chair of the committee Councillor Stephen Thomas, said: “I think we are in a far more positive place than we were two years ago with regard to our care homes within the town, particularly nursing care provision.

“We had a long period of time where we were at zero [nursing bed] capacity.”

Earlier this month, the Mail reported how popular entertainer Hartlepool Johnny Larkin died 25 miles away in Shildon as a nursing bed could not be found for him in the town.