Health bosses provide an update on Montrose House

Isla Anderson of care on Arran countered: “Caroline Cameron’s attempt to reassure Arran residents about the situation at Montrose House raises more questions than it answers.

“Montrose House has never lacked demand. What it has suffered from both historically and currently is the repeated, prolonged failure to fill beds in the only care home serving an island community. Describing months-long vacancies in a high-demand facility as “normal practice” stretches credibility beyond breaking point. In care provision, particularly when capacity is tight, beds are typically filled within hours or days, not left empty while families are told to wait or accept off-island placements.

“There is a stark difference between careful placement planning and systematic under-occupation. On Arran, the cost of that distinction is borne by our elderly residents forced to leave the island at great cost to their personal welfare. Delaying admissions in this context is not neutral administrative caution. It has real, harmful consequences.

“The assertion that reducing capacity ensures sustainability is particularly difficult to take seriously. Montrose House was built in 2015 to accommodate 30 residents – the widely accepted minimum viable occupancy for a modern care home. Running the purpose-built facility at 10 permanent beds does not enhance efficiency; it actively undermines it. Costs are spread across fewer heads, the workplace becomes less attractive to staff, and the service edges closer to unviability, not stability.

“The care staff at Montrose House deliver excellent care, and they deserve immense credit. What they do not deserve is to see their work, morale and job security jeopardised by decisions that hollow out the service while insisting it is being protected.

“At best, this situation reflects profound inefficiency and poor planning. At worst, it suggests a deliberate strategy to reduce capacity until the service becomes unsustainable by design.

“The sensible, humane course of action is obvious: restore capacity towards the level the facility was built to support, and allow Montrose House to function properly. The demand is there. The need is unquestionable. What remains to be seen is whether North Ayrshire’s leadership is willing to meet its responsibility to the island’s elderly – or continue chipping away at their care provision through quiet attrition.”

Speaking earlier this year, prior to the consultation on changes to its services, a NAHSCP spokesperson said: “With the majority of the partnership’s budget going towards frontline services, this means that changes to services which support our residents – from cradle to grave – are unfortunately inevitable.”

NAHSCP is facing significant financial pressures, with demand for its services continuing to rise. The partnership has a £5 million deficit this year and is expecting a deficit of around £17 million for 2026/2027.

The situation follows a pattern seen across the country, with Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland reporting a funding gap of almost £500 million in 2025/26.