NEWS that St John’s Winchester Charity is consulting over the closure of its Moorside care home on Durngate will come as a shock to many.

It only opened 25 years ago which for a charity that has been around since the Middle Ages is the blink of an eye.

The care home specialised in caring for people suffering from dementia with a maximum capacity of 31 beds, so shutting it will knock a big hole in Winchester in the provision of care for people with this terrible condition. Dementia is a chronic issue that will become more acute as people generally live longer and there will be a decline in other causes of death such as cancer.

St John’s will not have taken this decision lightly and whilst we are not privy to its financial operation it does seem surprising that the funding framework makes it unviable. We hope that Hampshire County Council will be looking at the situation closely to see how it can fill the gap.

Meanwhile, it is imperative that the people and families affected by the likely closure are the absolute priority to ensure the minimum of disruption to their lives.