The closure of Ellesmere Community Nursing Home on Trimpley Street has raised many concerns including that of MP Owen Paterson who has pledged to try and keep it open.  

The nursing home will be closing on December 8 just a over a month after the future of the home was uncertain because of financial problems.

Lee Chapman, Cabinet member for adult social care, health and housing, said:

“Shropshire Council is disappointed to hear of the closure of Ellesmere Community Nursing Home. The council have been contacted by the owners of the home and informed that they will be closing the nursing home with effect from December 8.

“Although we have no funded residents at the home, we appreciate this is a very distressing time for residents and their families, and our commitment now is to ensure the safety, health and well-being of those affected. Adult Social Care staff are currently supporting both the nursing home and its residents to ensure that they are provided with necessary advice and information in response to the planned closure.

“Alternative arrangements are already in place and residents will be moving shortly to different nursing homes.”

Meanwhile Owen Paterson has pledged to try and keep the home open.

He said: “I feel very strongly about this. Back before I was an MP I led the campaign, with the late Olga Cureton, to keep the then Cottage Hospital open.

“We raised £250,000 to buy the building from the NHS and another £250,000 to turn the upstairs into a nursing home, with the Council running the downstairs as a day centre. I was Chairman of the committee that ran the nursing home for some time.

“It took incredible hard work to keep it open and it is great value to the town therefore asked to meet the Chief Executive of the CCG to discuss this with him in more detail.”