A SPATE of recent care home closures on the Isle of Wight has contributed to a 11 per cent reduction in the number of beds.

The Island had 2,114 care home beds in 2014 but this has fallen to 1,882 in 2019.

Since January 2017, four residential care homes have closed due to the owners retiring, and a further two closed when the mainland organisations withdrew from the Island.

Additionally, there have been compulsory closures when significant failures led to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) closing them down.

The crisis has been studied by retirement mortgage experts Responsible Life, who released the latest figures, showing the IW with a higher percentage of lost beds than most areas.

They said a postcode lottery was unfolding, with some areas having more provision than others.

Dr Carol Tozer, the IW Council’s director of adult social care, said there had been a variety of reasons why the number of care home beds on the Island had fallen.

She said the council had worked to ensure residents and their families were properly engaged in the closure process and suitable alternative homes were found, following the CQC rescinding the registration.

She said: "The council has done its utmost to protect expenditure on adult social care and children’s social care over the last nine years.

"Indeed, adult social care accounts for 43 per cent of the council’s total net expenditure budget in the current financial year, and our fee levels to providers compare well against other local authorities in the region.

"That said, the council is of the unequivocal view adult social care funding must be placed on a proper, sustainable footing – underpinned by a new national settlement from government.

"The Island’s elderly and disabled residents, and their carers, must be confident care and support is available for them when they need it.

"So while the council has been grateful for the one-off additional funds made available by government in the form of winter pressures funding and the social care grant, we urgently need clarity and surety about the future level of funding – as do the Island’s providers.”

Cllr Clare Mosdell, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said: “We want all our care homes to be of the highest quality for Islanders, not withstanding the fact policy emphasis has moved from residential care to residents staying within their own homes.

"I am delighted with the positive impact our Raising Standards Initiative, funded by adult social care and delivered by Mountbatten, has had on CQC ratings across the Island.”