The relative of a resident at Reayrt ny Baie has raised concerns over the planned move to the new Summerhill View nursing home.

Tynwald approved £11.7 million for the Summerhill View project in 2020 to replace Reayrt ny Baie, based in Albert Terrace in Douglas, which Manx Care have said is now ‘dated and impractical’ for staff and residents.

Manx Care have said that Summerhill View requires many more staff than Reayrt ny Baie, with four 15-bed units and en-suites for each resident.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper confirmed during Tuesday’s Tynwald sitting that the staff from Reayrt ny Baie would be given the opportunity to be re-deployed within Manx Care, but that wouldn’t necessarily mean that they will also move to the new Summerhill View site.

Manx Care is still looking for a permanent service provider to run the new facility.

Melissa Rutherford, whose mother is currently a resident at Reayrt ny Baie, claims that she has not been properly informed about the details of the move.

She said: ‘Since the meeting that was held on January 24 with relatives of residents regarding the move, we have heard nothing.

‘My main concern is that my mother has dementia, and the staff at Reayrt ny Baie know her and her routine. She’s worried sick and is really upset at the prospect of not having these people there for her anymore.

‘She struggles to remember things properly now, but it could get even worse if she’s moved to a new location with different members of staff.

‘The Summerhill View site is currently being used as a vaccination hub, so I don’t understand why residents at Reayrt ny Baie can’t move in there now with the current staff until a service provider is found. It would help them get used to it.’

Mr Hooper also stated during Tynwald that further meetings would be held with the relatives of residents following the TT period, but Melissa said she has not been informed of such a meeting.

She said: ‘No, I’ve heard nothing about that.

‘Since the meeting in January, I’ve tried to contact the chief executive of Manx Care [Teresa Cope] numerous times about the situation, but I’ve had no reply.’

MHK for Douglas North, David Ashford, suggested that the moving residents should be taken to the Summerhill View site for a one-day visit before they are permanently moved there. Mr Hooper agreed that this would be a good idea and that he would suggest it to Manx Care.

He added: ‘This is an individual process, which will take into account the needs and wishes of individual members of staff and residents. There is no blanket provision for this.’