The South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, which brings together a wide range of health and social work services, is currently considering a range of options for Hillcrest in Girvan and South Lodge in Ayr, with a series of meetings planned for October and November.

More than 800 people use private and publicly run care homes in South Ayrshire, with accommodation for up to 53 residents available at the council-run Hillcrest and South Lodge Care Homes.

The review was ordered to help the Partnership fully understand the available care home and wider care package provision in South Ayrshire and ask families, staff and the wider public how they feel about current provision.

Feedback from the consultation will help inform decisions about both the way people live now and are supported in future at Hillcrest and South Lodge.

The review will consider the potential impacts of a number of options, including:

Councillor Rita Miller, chair of the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Integration Joint Board said every option was being actively considered: “Hillcrest and South Lodge Care Homes play an important role in the provision of residential care in Girvan and Ayr and are highly valued by residents, relatives and the local community.

“This review will make sure we’re fully informed about the best ways to support elderly people living in our communities. There are a number of options being considered but, at this point, it must be stressed that no decision has been made and we’re actively seeking the views of families, staff, and the wider public to understand the best way of moving forward.

“We’ve already contacted a wide-range of people to invite them to our drop-in sessions and I would urge anyone with an interest in this important issue to get involved and let us know your thoughts.”

The two public consultation drop-in events are scheduled to take place at:

As well as the drop-in sessions, families and residents in the care homes have also been offered a one-to-one discussion with the review team.