Dementia patients to stay at Marrow House in Stoke
Families campaigning to stop their elderly relatives being moved out of a council-run care home in Stoke-on-Trent have been told their loved ones can now remain where they are.
The city council has offered to let existing patients stay at specialist dementia care unit Marrow House.
But it confirmed that it will close the facility to new residents from April.
Under council plans to save £24m, residents had faced the prospect of being moved into the private sector.
The U-turn came about after the families of dementia sufferers at Marrow House signed a letter last week refusing the council permission to move their loved ones.
The council had planned to close two elderly care homes - the Meadows in Bucknall and St Michael's House in Chell - and relocate those residents into Marrow House in Meir Hay.
This move would have forced current residents there to find alternative care in the private sector.
Overall strategic plan
"I'm quite surprised but very pleased," said Doreen Norton, whose 86-year-old mother has Alzheimer's and has been at Marrow House for the last 18 months.
"We've had a lot of support from the relatives and the council have listened to what the concerns have been, and they have taken it on board, which is wonderful.
"We've been given assurances that the permanent residents will be allowed to either live out their natural lives at Marrow House or remain there until their needs cannot be met.
"So that's one step in the right direction and we just hope that those promises will be held."
Mohammed Pervez, the city council's Labour leader, said they decided to let current residents stay at Marrow House after "consulting with our communities" and "actively listening to their concerns".
But Mr Pervez also confirmed the city council's overall strategic plan of moving the care of the elderly into the private sector.
"The quality of care in the independent sector is monitored by the Care Quality Commission and we also monitor the care that's being provided in those homes," he said.
"Ninety-seven per cent of adult care is actually in the independent sector, so I have every confidence that a good level of care is being provided.
"And where there are issues, we will take decisive action to ensure those issues are rectified."