GSD raises concerns over six-year delay as £38M Rooke Care Home remains unopened

The GSD has emphasised that six years after it was first announced, the Rooke Elderly Care Home remains unopened, despite more than £38 million being spent on the project.

On Wednesday, GBC said we had put questions to the Government on the construction, expected completion, and cost of the project. 

On Thursday, the Shadow Minister for Care and ERS has pointed out that the GSLP 2023 manifesto made a clear commitment to complete it in 2023, but that the facility is still empty in April 2026, with no clear indication of when it will begin operating or who it will serve. 

Atrish Sanchez says despite Parlamentary quesitons over the matter, the intended use of the Rooke facility is still unclear, with concerns raised about a lack of transparency and shifting plans.

She says that issues have been raised about consultation with residents of Mount Alvernia, some of whom have expressed interest in moving to the new facility. But the Government’s wider consultation promised earlier this year has yet to begin.

In a statement, Atrish Sanchez says the Government had previously committed to opening the home by 2024 and suggested a potential operator had been identified.

More recently, expressions of interest have been invited for managing the site, but Atrish Sanchez says the Government has not confirmed if agreements are currently in place.

The GSD says the delays at the Rooke facility come at a time of growing pressure on elderly care services, and are calling for clear answers on how the facility will be used, who will run it, and when it will finally open.